


A Wolf

by Loeka



Series: Life (Is Bitter And Sweet) [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/M, Romance, Smut, So much denial, also naruto is six and tiny and adorable, getting him to enter a relationship even less so, getting him to fall in love is not easy, kakashi is a walking bundle of trauma and commitment issues, which is how you end up with situations like this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:06:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 63,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23514376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loeka/pseuds/Loeka
Summary: Hatake Kakashi is renowned for many things. He's a prodigy. He's an ANBU Captain. He's one of the most lethal ninja alive. And he doesn't do feelings.Too bad they snuck up on him anyway.(He isn't handling it well)
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Life (Is Bitter And Sweet) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/370199
Comments: 232
Kudos: 368
Collections: Naruto Wonderland





	1. The Middle - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you're here for smut only, you can skip to the chapter titled Sexy Times. It can be read as a sexy oneshot all on its own. The rest contains mentions of sex but nothing explicit.

“Eight months. Eight. Months. In case you’ve somehow missed it, that’s almost an entire pregnancy.”

That’s one of the worst comparisons he’s ever heard.

“And you kept giving me and Tori grief. Hypocrite.”

Please. As if there are any similarities between them.

“I told you we were still exchanging notes.”

She sounds far more defensive than she should. But that has more to do with her friends backing her in a corner than with the topic at hand.

The worst of her friends scoffs.

“Flirting is completely different from sleeping with him and you know it.”

No it isn’t. 

“It wasn’t any different from before. Just with added orgasms.”

See.

“It really is. You don’t do repeat performances. Ever. I can’t believe you’ve been in a relationship for eight months. Ten if you count the flirting.”

This is ridiculous. They aren’t in a relationship. It was just sex.

“We’re not in a relationship! It was just sex!”

Exactly.

“You’ve been _going steady_ for _eight months_.”

Kakashi rolls his eye. Her friends are being absurd.

She groans in a way that catches him off guard completely. That isn’t a groan of frustration. It’s one of realisation. She agrees?

“How did I miss this?”

She agrees. He never expected this kind of stupidity from her.

“You’re oblivious to any and all romantic feelings not written down, your own included. It’s one of your greatest talents.”

Her blindspot for romantic feelings is irrelevant. There are no romantic feelings to miss. It's just lust. Maybe a certain fondness that comes from associating with someone long enough, but no more.

“Eight months.”

The last of her friends has finally shaken off her stupor.

“Eight months! How could you keep this from us? For eight months!”

There was nothing to keep from them. It was just sex.

“It was just sex!”

Glad to see she hasn’t lost all reason.

The silence that follows is meaningful. Her friends are giving her looks that say they disagree with her entirely correct assessment. Civilians.

“...It started out as just sex.”

It still is. Was. It was just sex because they won’t be having any more. He has no intention of turning this into something it’s not.

Her friends respond with a sigh, groan, huff and scoff. Still not willing to see reason.

“Well. It’s progress at least.”

No it isn’t.

“I swear, in the beginning it was just sex.”

It still is. Was. Whatever. 

She sighs, the sound tired and far too hurt. Kakashi ignores the part of him that wants to cheer her up. She’s overreacting.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. I think he broke up with me.”

No he didn’t. That would require them to be in a relationship. They aren’t.

“Wait, what? What happened?”

Something incredibly unpleasant. He responded appropriately.

“He’s ignoring me.”

And she should ignore him back. It’s better for everyone involved.

“And that means he broke up with you?”

A break up requires a relationship. By definition, they can’t break up.

“I don’t see how it could mean anything else.”

It means he’s lost all interest in continuing to associate with her. Nothing more. 

“He’s always let me know if he had a mission. He didn’t do that this time. Just, poof. Radio silence.”

Kakashi ignores how hurt she is. If she didn’t want him to take off, she shouldn’t have let her hormones get the best of her.

“Why? What happened?”

She chose to ruin everything. Honestly, they’ve been sleeping together for eight months and three days, and she chooses now to mistake lust for something more?

“I told him I love him.”

Kakashi doesn't flinch. This is ridiculous, she doesn’t love him. Her feelings are nothing but superficial infatuation inspired by lust. As evidenced, among other things, by her confessing her supposed feelings right after he made her see stars.

“Oh, Mari.”

Naturally, her friends fail to see that this is nothing but superficial infatuation.

“You what? You-”

“Love? And you didn’t say anything for eight months?”

“It’s a recent development.”

No it isn’t. It’s lust inspired infatuation, nothing more. 

The worst of her friends lets out a strangled sound.

“So you just woke up one day and realised hey, you’re in love with a person you’ve never even seen? Whose name you don’t even know?”

Exactly. She doesn’t love him. She doesn’t even know him.

“Apparently.”

She’s being absurd. And allowing this whole thing to get to her far too much.

“Are you sure he doesn’t just need some time and space?”

He’s sure.

“I doubt it. He does feelings even less than I do.”

Her knowing that means nothing. Everyone knows he doesn’t do feelings. It’s not like he tries to hide it. Much.

“But he loves you back?”

 _No_.

“No.”

See.

“Yes.”

What?

“I don’t know.”

He most definitely doesn’t. She’s just an acquaintance, a random civilian, important only in how she relates to Minato's son. He doesn’t love her. At all.

“After this long, I think it safe to say he has some feelings for you.”

Because clearly it’s impossible to keep sleeping with someone merely because you enjoy the act itself. Honestly, her friends need to grow up.

She sighs. Really, she’s acting like this is something serious. It’s - painful - annoying.

“Feelings, sure, but love? That’s another matter.”

She’s blowing this entire thing out of proportion.

“Look, Mari. Sometimes people just can’t admit that they’re in love. Doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

In order to deny something is there, it has to be present first. It isn’t.

“So you have to keep pestering him until it all blows up and comes bursting out.”

Projecting their own relationship like that is idiotic. There are no similarities to this situation of any kind.

“Don’t really see how I can do that. I don’t have any way to contact him except for writing. If he wants to keep ignoring me, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

And he likes that very much.

“I can’t help but notice you don’t say he’s left.”

She scoffs. He’s glad to have her anger return. Much better than her irrational hurt.

“That bastard’s been stalking me for months, as if he’s suddenly going to stop. I’m willing to wager he’s out there right now, listening in. Bastard!”

The only reason he’s still performing daily check-ups is for situations exactly like this one. She might reveal something incriminating about him. Not something he’s had to worry about in a long time, but with how irrational she’s being, the risk is back. She wouldn’t do it on purpose of course, but she’s a civilian. As evidenced by her talking about this so openly. Necessitating that he stays so he can keep patrols and off duty forces from overseeing the conversation. Seals take care of the sound, but he can't block the visual in the same way. That's why he's still here.

“That doesn’t make you sound crazy at all.”

She sighs again. She really needs to stop being so hurt. It’s unpleasant. And ridiculous.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Kakashi rolls his eye. She’s acting like he’s done something wrong. He hasn’t. And even if he had, he doesn’t owe her anything. They're - they were acquaintances with benefits. Nothing more. She doesn’t love him.

He doesn’t love her either.


	2. The Beginning - Part 1

“Report.”

“The subject and jinchuuriki were threatened by two intoxicated civilians. Subject attempted to flee with the jinchuuriki. The threats gave chase. Subject was unlikely to escape. She and the jinchuuriki were at significant risk. No patrols or off duty forces were nearby. I visibly intervened and neutralised both threats. Subject returned to her residence with the jinchuuriki. She was in the process of successfully calming him down when last observed.”

Wolf waits for a reprimand. A visible intervention was unnecessary.

Hokage-sama offers no reprimand.

“Do you believe this to be a deliberate attack?”

Wolf examines the event again.

“Unlikely. The civilians displayed no training or ulterior motives. I believe the incident to be caused by rage born from the Kyuubi Attack, heightened to unusual levels by both the date and their intoxication. While the incident could have been manipulated by outside forces, it would serve no purpose but to observe the subject’s response.”

“And what would her response have revealed?”

“A lack of formal training and combat experience. She remained unaware of her pursuers for approximately eight minutes. On notice, she picked up the jinchuuriki and attempted to flee without enhancing her performance. When the threats closed in, she prepared to defend herself but showed no particular skill or suppressed reflexes.”

Hokage-sama closes his eyes. Hokage-sama is worried.

“The fear she displayed was aimed more at the jinchuuriki’s safety than her own.”

Hokage-sama opens his eyes. Hokage-sama appreciates the additional information. Wolf offers more information he believes Hokage-sama will appreciate.

“On arrival at her residence, her priority was to calm down the jinchuuriki. In the process, she brought up my intervention. Her exact words were; did you see how fast that ninja moved? One moment we’re running and the next, fwoosh. Those drunks didn’t stand a chance. It was amazing, wasn’t it? The jinchuuriki responded that it was pretty cool.”

Hokage-sama is smiling. Wolf is pleased.

“Your insight is valued,” Hokage-sama says. Wolf is very pleased. “Return to your post. I expect another update at the usual time. Dismissed.”

Wolf flickers away.

* * *

Wolf observes from his post. Subject is within visual and auditory range. Jinchuuriki is within auditory range. Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject sits down. Subject covers her face with her hands. Subject is processing the event as she refused to do while the jinchuuriki was awake. 

“Shit.”

Subject’s breathing is becoming irregular. Odds of a panic attack, approximately eighty percent.

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject forcefully brings her breathing under control. Subject has experience in heading off panic attacks. Most likely source, the Kyuubi Attack.

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject becomes confident she has regained control. Subject’s exhaustion gains the upper hand. 

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject moves towards the jinchuuriki’s birthday cake. Subject cuts off a slice. Subject grabs a notebook. Subject writes, the angle preventing Wolf from determining the content. Subject tears out the page and folds it.

Subject is intending to give the cake to Wolf. Wolf analyses potential motivations. Most likely, a genuine expression of gratitude. Less likely, a ploy for political power.

Subject opens the window and places the cake and note on the windowsill. Subject goes to the jinchuuriki’s room. Subject confirms the jinchuuriki's safety and continued sleep for her peace of mind.

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject enters the bathroom, leaving visual range. Subject brushes her teeth. Subject relieves herself. Subject leaves the bathroom, returning to visual range. Subject enters her room and closes the curtains, leaving visual range. 

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject undresses. Subject gets into bed. Subject’s breathing becomes deep and steady. Subject has fallen asleep.

Wolf moves. Wolf investigates the note.

**_Thanks for the rescue._ **

The message doesn’t allow Wolf to eliminate any potential motives. Wolf refolds the paper and returns it to its previous position, leaving no evidence that it was moved. Wolf casts an illusion on the cake and note. Their presence is incriminating. 

Wolf returns to his post.

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Wolf observes.

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Wolf observes.

Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Minato’s son is _alive_. Kakashi allows himself to close his eye.

Naruto is alive. Nothing happened. He’s fine, he didn't get hurt. He’s alive.

Kakashi keeps listening to Naruto’s breathing. He didn’t fail. He got there in time. He kept Naruto alive. He’s alive. Minato's son is alive. He can literally hear him breath.

Doesn’t calm him down in the slightest.

Kakashi comes to a decision. Wolf disapproves of this decision. Kakashi ignores that. If he doesn't calm down, he won't be able to do his job well. Wolf reluctantly agrees with this assessment. It required an unacceptable amount of effort to pay attention to things other than the jinchuuriki.

Kakashi returns to the window, soundlessly unlocks it and slips inside before closing it just as soundlessly. Entering Naruto’s room, he watches the boy who looks so much like his father. The boy he can see breathe, the boy whose heartbeat he can now hear. The rhythm is strong and healthy. Naruto is fine. He’s alive.

Kakashi still isn’t calm. 

He opens Obito’s eye. The world becomes painfully vivid, a faint throbbing starting at his temples as his mind struggles to process the sudden flood of information. Kakashi ignores it with the ease of long familiarity.

He looks at Minato’s son. Looks at the hair three shades lighter and the skin two shades darker. Looks at the lashes, jawline and chin so similar to his memories. He looks so much like Sensei.

He’s alive.

Kakashi finally calms down. He closes Obito’s eye and leaves the room, leaving no evidence of ever having been here. He opens the window. And hesitates, his eye drawn to the hidden cake.

It’s been a long time since anyone thanked him like this. Oh, theoretically there’s a possibility of it being a power move, but by now he’s been observing Takahashi Mariko long enough to know that this is exactly what it seems. She’s thanking him for saving her and Naruto.

Kakashi isn’t in the habit of saving people. The opposite. Being able to do otherwise is nice. Being thanked for it is... well. He appreciates the gesture. Let’s leave it at that.

The cake will be ruined if left outside the entire night.

Wolf disapproves. Strongly. Kakashi hesitates again. It’s true, this is not a good idea. It’s one thing to show himself because the circumstances forced him to - well no, he didn’t need to show himself. He could have taken down the civilians with a simple illusion. Unfortunately, he - kept seeing Sensei - hadn’t been in the clearest state of mind.

He’s calm now. Still a little unsettled, but not enough to obscure just what a bad idea it would be to confirm he’s still here.

Wolf agrees. Wolf points out they can't rule out the possibility that this is a ploy.

Yeah, that’s a load of crap. Takahashi Mariko is many things and none of it includes an ambition for power. A fact Wolf is all but certain of as well, she wouldn’t have been allowed to adopt Naruto otherwise. Ignoring that, if this indeed a ploy, playing along will give him as much information as ignoring it would, if not more so. 

Wolf reluctantly agrees with this assessment. Wolf still disapproves of this course of action.

Kakashi decides to ignore that. He breaks the illusion and moves the cake to the coffee table, before unfolding the note and adding a reply. He’s already letting her know he's still here. Might as well have some fun while he’s at it.

_I don’t like sweet things._

Wolf's disapproval grows.

Wolf has no sense of humor. Kakashi does. Besides, her reaction to this will teach him a great deal. Wolf reluctantly agrees.

He places the note with the cake, folded so the new characters are visible. Can’t risk her throwing it away without checking it. 

Kakashi slips outside and returns to his post.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject has not yet noticed the changed location of the cake and note. Subject woke up agitated because of last night's events. Subject handled her agitation by performing her usual morning routine with unusual focus.

Subject has succeeded in calming down. Subject and jinchuuriki are eating breakfast. Subject finishes first.

Subject notices the cake. Subject becomes curious. Subject shows no fear, discomfort, relief or satisfaction. Possibility of this being a ploy has been reduced.

Subject walks towards the note. Subject notices the new characters on the note. Subject reads the reply.

Subject snorts. Subject is amused. Subject doesn't look for Wolf. 

Wolf considers. Subject is discreet by nature. Subject enjoys contradictory banter. Subject feels genuine gratitude towards Wolf. Wolf concludes her response to be in line with previously observed behavior.

Kakashi had hoped for a bigger reaction.

Jinchuuriki notices what the subject is doing.

"Hey, is that for me? Can I have cake for breakfast, please, please, pretty please?"

Odds of the subject granting the jinchuuriki's request, approximately ninety percent.

"Finish your meal and you can have a bite."

Wolf updates the subject’s profile. Even when the jinchuuriki has gone through an unsettling event, subject will keep a strict limit on sugar consumption. Most likely cause, the difficulty she has with the jinchuuriki when he's experiencing a sugar rush.

Subject moves towards the cupboards containing snacks. Subject intends to give Wolf another offering.

Subject doesn’t notice the jinchuuriki getting off his chair and moving to the cake. Subject doesn’t notice the jinchuuriki eating the cake. Kakashi is amused.

Jinchuuriki finishes eating the cake. Jinchuuriki hides the plate behind his back. Jinchuuriki watches the subject for signs of her becoming aware of his actions.

Subject doesn't become aware of the jinchuuriki's actions. Subject finds what she was looking for. A bag of fried beans.

Subject returns to the coffee table. Subject doesn't notice the lack of cake. Jinchuuriki hides the plate beneath the couch without drawing the subject's attention.

Subject grabs the note and adds a message. The angle allows Wolf to read along.

**_Does this meet your refined tastes?_ **

It does not. Kakashi doesn't like fried things either.

Subject is relaxed. Subject shows no fear or discomfort at being observed. Subject places beans and note on the windowsill. 

Jinchuuriki approaches the subject. Jinchuuriki is curious as to what the subject is doing.

"Nee-chan, what're you doing?"

Subject startles. Subject failed to notice the jinchuuriki approach. Wolf concluded long ago that the lack of awareness is genuine. Kakashi will never understand how civilians can be so oblivious.

Jinchuuriki hugs the subject’s leg. Requiring comfort after last night’s events. Subject strokes the jinchuuriki’s hair, motivated by a need to comfort both the jinchuuriki and herself.

"Feeding a stray cat."

Jinchuuriki interprets the message as literal. Jinchuuriki is wondering why the subject would want to feed stray cats.

"Really?"

Subject is amused by the jinchuuriki's response.

"No."

Jinchuuriki pouts with annoyance. Subject’s affection for the jinchuuriki becomes more dominant.

"Mari-nee, you're being mean!"

"Why are you still surprised by this? And did you finish your-"

Subject notices the lack of cake. Subject correctly deduces what happened to it.

"Naruto. Where's the cake?"

Jinchuuriki becomes guilty. Jinchuuriki fails to hide his guilt. Jinchuuriki glances at the couch, informing the subject where the plate is hidden. A prodigy, Minato's son is not. Though he’s above average in some regards. As evidenced by him being quiet enough to avoid attention while eating the cake.

Subject sighs. Subject is impressed that the jinchuuriki managed to eat the cake without her notice. Subject is annoyed at the discipline she must now enact.

“No cake for you tonight.”

Jinchuuriki is caught off guard.

“What! But you said I could have it!”

“I said you could have _a_ bite, and only after you finished your breakfast. Did you finish your breakfast?”

“I did!”

Subject looks towards the table to confirm the jinchuuriki’s claim. Subject sees that the jinchuuriki spoke the truth.

Subject does not soften.

“And you still ate more than a bite. No cake tonight.”

Odds of the subject allowing the jinchuuriki cake tonight, approximately ninety-five percent.

Jinchuuriki is unaware of this. Jinchuuriki prepares to argue.

“But-”

“No buts. If you wanted cake tonight, you shouldn’t have eaten it now. Now get moving, we’re going to be late.”

Jinchuuriki becomes afraid. Jinchuuriki’s fear causes the subject’s own to become dominant.

“...Can’t we stay home today?”

Subject struggles against the urge to grant the jinchuuriki’s request. Subject is determined to act like normal. Subject is assuring herself that she and the jinchuuriki are safe. 

Subject glances out the window. Subject loses a significant amount of tension.

Subject finds comfort in Wolf’s presence. Wolf updates the subject’s profile. Subject is more loyal than previously believed.

“You have school, so no.” 

Subject grabs the plate and places it in the sink. Subject moves towards the exit.

“Come on, I’ll walk you.”

The jinchuuriki becomes deliberately pleading. Subject averts her gaze to the ceiling to avoid the sight. Odds of the subject being swayed by the tactic under normal circumstances, ninety-two percent. Odds of the subject being swayed under these circumstances, undetermined.

Subject takes a fortifying breath. Subject will not be swayed. Wolf requires more data in order to determine whether this is a normal response to circumstances such as these.

Subject looks at the jinchuuriki. Informing him she remains resolved. Jinchuuriki chooses another tactic in an attempt to persuade the subject.

“Won’t Tori be mad if you’re late?”

Subject responds with a look that informs the jinchuuriki this tactic won’t work either.

“She’s closed down today.”

Jinchuuriki refuses to heed the unspoken command. Subject turns the command verbal.

“Move it, brat.”

Jinchuuriki realises he won’t be able to change the subject’s mind. Jinchuuriki scowls.

He’s still afraid.

“Okay, okay, I’m going.”

Jinchuuriki reluctantly makes his way to the subject. Subject softens. When the jinchuuriki reaches the subject, the subject kneels down and pulls him into a hug. Jinchuuriki hugs her back. Requiring comfort. Subject caresses the jinchuuriki’s cheek.

“It’s okay to be scared, Naruto. I’m a little scared too.”

Subject is deliberately understating the strength of her fear. Subject is attempting to both comfort the jinchuuriki and import personal teachings.

“However, it’s not okay to give in to it. So we’re going to kick its ass by acting like normal.”

Jinchuuriki’s fear has lessened but not yet disappeared. Subject is dissatisfied. Subject decides to use a different tactic.

“And if you go to the academy, you’ll learn how to be strong enough to kick the ass of anyone who wants to hurt you.”

Subject is successful in easing the remainder of the jinchuuriki’s fear. The jinchuuriki grins.

“Yeah, I’m gonna be the strongest ever! And I’ll protect you too, Mari-nee!”

The jinchuuriki’s response lessens the subject’s own fear significantly. Subject chuckles and ruffles the jinchuuriki’s hair.

“Then you better get to school. You won’t get stronger otherwise.”

Jinchuuriki becomes determined. Jinchuuriki hurries to put his shoes on.

“Come on, nee-chan! We’re going to be late!”

Subject laughs. Subject joins the jinchuuriki in preparing to leave. Subject and jinchuuriki exit the residence, leaving visual range. Wolf moves. Wolf pockets the note and beans. Subject and jinchuuriki make their way towards the Academy. Wolf follows. Wolf observes.

Kakashi is glad she handled that so well.

* * *

Subject drops off the jinchuuriki at the Academy. Subject wanders the streets. Subject is deliberately staying outside. Subject is attempting to conquer her fear.

Subject occasionally looks for Wolf without an expectation of finding him. Subject assumes that Wolf is currently observing the jinchuuriki instead of her, but subject is not ruling out the possibility that she is being held under surveillance instead. Subject shows occasional exasperation at the need for surveillance.

Subject still shows no signs of discomfort. Wolf analyses. Subject possesses a strong sense of self. Subject cares little for the approval of the general populace. Subject is noticeably skilled at accommodating unexpected happenings. Subject feels gratitude towards Wolf.

Subject’s response falls in line with previously displayed behavior.

After lunch, subject makes her way to her place of work. Subject intends to see her closest friends. Odds of the subject mentioning the attack, approximately eighty-five percent. Odds of the subject mentioning Wolf's involvement, approximately seventy percent.

Subject relaxes when she sees her place of work. Subject uses her key to enter. Subject goes into the kitchen, leaving visual range. Wolf changes position so the subject is within view again.

Subject prepares tea. Jasmine. Sakura sencha. Yamecha. Subject relaxes further as she prepares nourishment for her friends.

Subject takes the tea to the residence upstairs, leaving visual range. Wolf changes position. The subject’s friends are not within visual range. Odds of that changing, approximately thirty percent.

Subject enters the room her friends are in. Subject speaks. Subject’s voice is deliberately soft. Considerate of the state her friends are in. Subject’s voice is deliberately firm. Intending to provoke a reaction.

“Rise and shine, people.”

Nakamura Renji lets out a pained groan. Ito Tori whimpers. Tanaka Shiro lets out an aggrieved breath. Nakamura Rukia remains asleep.

Subject turns on the light. Nakamura Renji expresses verbal disapproval at the subject's actions.

“You’re an asshole.”

“Takes one to know one.” 

Subject is pleased with the response her arrival inspired. So is Kakashi. This is a lot more fun to observe than her wanderings around town.

Ito Tori whimpers again.

“Please be more quiet.”

Subject obligingly lowers her voice. Subject moves across the room.

“I have to admit, seeing you all suffer from monster hangovers almost makes up for missing the party.”

“Asshole.”

“Here I was nice enough to bring you your favorite.”

Subject pours tea. Nakamura Rukia starts waking. Most likely cause, the scent of tea.

Tanaka Shiro moves towards the subject. Subject gives him a cup. Previously gathered data indicates she gives him a cup of yamecha.

Subject speaks with deliberate cheer.

“Good morning, Shiro.”

Tanaka Shiro responds with an aggravated sound. Subject brings tea to Ito Tori and Nakamura Renji. Previous data indicates she gives sakura sencha to Ito Tori and jasmine to Nakamura Renji.

Nakamura Rukia finishes waking.

“Is that jasmine?”

Subject gives a cup to Nakamura Rukia. Nakamura Rukia lets out an appreciative sound.

“I love you.”

“I hate you.”

“You’re too loud.”

“If all of you don’t shut up, I’m going to stab you in the throat.”

Tanaka Shiro’s false threat makes the subject snort. Subject continues interacting with her friends, displaying no uncharacteristic behavior. Subject is relaxed.

Over two hours pass before the subject, back in visual range, brings up the events of last night.

“So last night I learned why I should never take Naruto to see the fireworks on his birthday.”

Subject’s voice is deliberately light. Subject’s body language is unsettled. Wolf considers. Mentioning his involvement is in line with previously gathered data. Mentioning her display of gratitude is not. Wolf is alert for uncharacteristic behavior.

Kakashi knows she won’t bring up the note.

Subject’s statement inspires worry in her friends. 

“What happened?”

“We got chased by two drunks.”

Subject inspires more worry. Ito Tori reaches for the subject’s hand. Tanaka Shiro places a hand on the subject’s shoulder.

“Are you all right?”

“Is Naruto?”

The display of worry makes the subject feel more at ease. Subject gives her friends a smile intended to ease their worry. Subject squeezes Ito Tori’s hand for the same reason.

Subject is watching Nakamura Renji with caution. Nakamura Renji isn’t displaying any signs of hatred for the jinchuuriki. His worry takes priority. Subject concludes the same. Subject is relieved.

“We’re both fine. Didn’t get attacked, courtesy of some timely intervention.”

Subject pauses to increase the suspense. Subject doesn't look for Wolf, the lack of tell done without conscious effort.

Nakamura Rukia encourages the subject to continue her report.

“Police or random?”

Subject is looking forward to the response she expects her next words to inspire.

“Neither. We got saved by an elite.”

Subject inspires shock. Shock makes way for discomfort and fear. The fear falls within acceptable parameters.

The discomfort and fear is joined by understanding. Subject’s friends have realised that the subject is being held under surveillance.

Ito Tori openly looks out the window. Nakamura Rukia and Renji attempt to keep from doing so and fail. Tanaka Shiro succeeds.

Subject is pleased with the response inspired.

“Yeah. This is apparently a thing.”

Subject doesn’t lower her voice. Subject doesn’t look out the window. The lack of tells are done without conscious effort.

Subject is discreet by nature. The lack of tells falls in line with previously observed behavior.

Nakamura Renji sighs.

“Suppose we should have seen this coming.”

Ito Tori disagrees.

“But still? Shouldn’t this have stopped after you took in Naruto?”

Kakashi is amused. Civilians.

“Wait, you knew?”

“You mean you didn’t?”

“We should have. We really should have.”

“What happened, Mari?”

Tanaka Shiro’s question makes the others return their attention to the subject. The subject scowls. Allowing herself to become agitated now that she’s in a safe environment.

“Those fucking bastards almost got their balls kicked in, that’s what happened.”

That is not what happened.

“They were following us, and when I picked up Naruto and started running, they did the same. I couldn’t shake them, so I got ready to kick ass. That’s when they started yelling about _the demon brat_.”

The events have heightened the subject’s usual hatred of the title to exceptional levels. Subject shakes her head with anger and incredulous disgust.

“Can you believe it? They wanted to beat up a six year old! Literally, it was his damn birthday! They’re lucky I didn’t have a rusty spoon on me. I would have scooped out their eyes and shoved them down their throats."

Subject continues venting to her friends. Subject feels better afterwards.

Subject doesn’t bring up her display of gratitude. Kakashi is glad. He’s also curious.

Is she going to keep being so casual about this?

* * *

Subject picks up the jinchuuriki from the Academy. Subject is relieved to see him safe. Jinchuuriki is relieved to have her back.

Subject and jinchuuriki return to their residence. Subject and jinchuuriki enter the building.

Kakashi considers. He could place the note and beans back in their original position, but where’s the fun in that?

Wolf disapproves. Kakashi ignores that. He’s already responded once, doing it again won’t make any difference. And responding will give him as much information as not doing so would, so there’s no reason to avoid the more entertaining option.

He slips inside, adds a reply to the note and places it beneath the beans.

_I don’t like fried things either._

Kakashi slips outside. Wolf observes.

Subject and jinchuuriki enter the residence. Subject notices the beans. Subject is annoyed. Kakashi is pleased.

“-and Iruka-sensei is so mean, he said I wasn’t trying but I was! Reading is really hard and - nee-chan, are you even listening?”

Jinchuuriki has noticed the lack of attention from the subject. Subject mollifies the jinchuuriki on habit, repeating what he said without processing the words themselves.

“Reading is hard.”

“...Okay. So I said he’s stupid and mean, and he got really red and yelled so loud, and he said I need to listen to him but I was listening!”

Jinchuuriki continues informing the subject about his day. Subject continues to pay partial attention to him. The majority of her attention is on the beans and note.

Subject picks up the note and unfolds it. Subject smiles with involuntary humor. Subject’s response falls in line with previously displayed behavior. Kakashi is still a little surprised at how casual she’s being about this.

Jinchuuriki falls silent and turns his attention to the note. Jinchuuriki becomes noticeably jealous when he notices the foreign writing. The strength of the response is caused by last night’s events.

Jinchuuriki doesn’t read the content of the note.

“What’re you doing, nee-chan? Who’s that from?”

Subject opens her mouth to reply without thought. Subject realises it would be a bad idea to inform the jinchuuriki that they’re being held under surveillance. Subject adjusts her response.

“No one.”

Jinchuuriki doesn't believe the subject's claim.

“It can’t be no one, there’s words on that! Words don’t appear from no one! Someone has to write them!”

Subject is proud of the jinchuuriki using deductuve reasoning. Subject continues to have no intention of sharing that they’re being held under surveillance.

“All right, it’s none of your business. How about that?”

“What! Nee-chan, that’s not fair! You can’t-”

“If you drop it, I’ll make ramen for dinner.”

Jinchuuriki has been successfully persuaded into dropping the topic. Subject is amused.

Subject frowns. Subject is confused and worried. Wolf considers. Most likely cause, the jinchuuriki. Less likely cause, Wolf. Least likely cause, an unrelated matter.

Subject turns her full attention towards the jinchuuriki. Subject’s response was inspired by the jinchuuriki.

“You have trouble reading?”

Jinchuuriki becomes ashamed. Jinchuuriki avoids the subject’s gaze. 

“It’s just really hard, okay? There are _so many_ characters.”

Subject shares the jinchuuriki’s opinion.

“Well, this won’t do at all. Come on.”

Subject moves towards the bookcase. Subject grabs one of her own novels. The Lion Lord.

Subject intends to teach the jinchuuriki to read with her own writing. Subject chose the first novel she published on purpose. Most likely cause, the simplicity of the writing. Less likely cause, a desire to go through her novels chronologically.

Subject sits down on the couch. Jinchuuriki joins her. Jinchuuriki’s shame has made way for curiosity. Subject draws the jinchuuriki into her lap.

“So this is a book I wrote-”

“You write books?”

Definitely not a prodigy.

“Really? I write every day, how is this a surprise to you?”

The jinchuuriki’s surprise is born from a deliberate avoidance at expressing curiosity about the subject’s writing. The avoidance was born from shame. The subject realises this as well.

The jinchuuriki responds with exceptional distaste.

“I didn’t think you were writing _books_.”

Subject is moderately offended.

“Fantasy literature, actually.”

Subject shakes off her offense.

“Not the point. The point is, I’m going to read this to you, and you’re going to sit here, quietly, and follow along the characters. Give me your hand.”

Jinchuuriki gives the subject a hand. Subject places it down the page, using the jinchuuriki’s index finger to follow along the characters. Subject clears her throat.

“Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a noble lion.”

Wolf observes.

Kakashi wishes he got a bigger response than this. Would have been more entertaining. Oh well. There’s still later tonight. She’s definitely going to try to feed him something else. And she’s going to leave another note. One of the first things he learned about Takahashi Mariko is her need to have the final word.

Kakashi wonders how exactly that need is going to express itself.

* * *

Subject places ramen and note on the windowsill. Subject prepares for sleep. Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady.

Subject enters her room. Subject gets into bed. Subject falls asleep. Wolf investigates.

**_Just eat the damn thing._ **

Kakashi is amused. Not many would treat an Anbu like this, never mind an Anbu tasked with surveilling you.

Wolf considers. The behavior falls in line with previously gathered data, but the subject’s response remains unusual. Possibility of the subject adopting the jinchuuriki out of ulterior motives remains.

In that case, he should investigate further. Duty comes first and all that. Wolf agrees. Wolf disapproves of how he intends to fulfill their duty. Kakashi ignores that.

He slips inside and gets comfortable, standing out of sight and with a clear view of all exit points. After heating the ramen with some fire natured chakra, careful to keep the scent from sticking to him, he lifts Wolf’s mask and tugs down his own. 

He eats the damn thing. It’s a lot better than the nutrient bars he eats during the day.

Putting his masks back on, he ensures that the bowl and chopsticks hold no evidence that could lead back to him before placing them on the coffee table. He unfolds the note.

_Not bad._

Kakashi slips outside. Wolf summons Pakkun.

Pakkun sighs.

“This is getting really old, boss.”

Kakashi agrees completely. Wolf signals the mission parameters and waits for Pakkun to confirm. Pakkun confirms. Kakashi pets Pakkun in the way he likes best. Wolf flickers away. 

Wolf arrives at the residence. Wolf checks that the residence has been untampered with. Wolf concludes that the residence is safe. Wolf enters. Wolf performs another inspection. Wolf’s conclusion remains unchanged.

Wolf activates the security. Wolf takes off his mask.

Kakashi drops down his bed with a groan. He hates long term surveillance. It’s even worse because his target is a civilian. Sure, it’s nice to see Naruto being taken care of, and Mariko herself can be entertaining. But for the most part, this is so boring.

At least he’s gotten some variety in the form of the notes. Though how the Third will react to the breach of professionalism...

No, he’s fine. The Third will be amused. It’s the entire reason Kakashi even considered doing this. Well no, the initial impulse was born from how unsettled he was after the attack on Naruto. The impulses that came after were born from boredom. But he went through with them all because he knew the Third wouldn’t disapprove.

He should still stop doing this. It’s unprofessional. And now that he’s accepted her offering, it would be more beneficial to remain quiet. It’ll give him definite proof on whether or not this is a ploy.

It isn’t a ploy. She just wanted to thank him and refused to take no for an answer. She’s stubborn like that.

After remaining sprawled on his bed a little longer, Kakashi gets up and takes off his armor, preparing to do a light workout. He also plans an additional break into his schedule. The lack of action is making him restless. He needs to ensure he doesn’t let that build up. Too much risk of making mistakes otherwise.

He really hates long term surveillance.

* * *

Subject is pleased that her offer has been accepted. Subject throws the note into the trash. Subject shows no signs of intending to extend the interaction. Wolf concludes this was no more than an expression of gratitude.

Subject and jinchuuriki leave the residence. Wolf enters the residence and destroys the note. Wolf follows the subject. Wolf observes.

Kakashi is almost disappointed this wasn’t a ploy. Would have been more interesting.

* * *

Subject’s breathing remains deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady. Wolf observes.

A patrol passes by. Wolf observes.

An off duty ninja passes by, making no attempts at observing the subject or jinchuuriki. Wolf observes.

Kakashi is bored. This is not fun. He understands the necessity of it, but that doesn’t make it any more pleasant.

Wolf observes.

Kakashi wonders. How would she react if he left another note? It’s one thing to have her savior accept her offer of gratitude, another thing entirely to have an Anbu reach out of their own initiative. It would inspire a much bigger reaction, that’s for sure.

Wolf disagrees. Subject is skilled at accommodating unexpected happenings. Subject has formed a personal connection to them, born from accepting her offering. Odds of the subject continuing to respond in the same manner, approximately seventy-five percent.

Only one way to find out.

Wolf disapproves. Strongly.

Kakashi already acted unprofessionally by accepting the dinner, a little more won’t make any difference. Besides, this would give him valuable information. Previous observations taught him that Takahashi Mariko holds almost no loyalty to the village as a whole. In fact, she holds a deep seated scorn for it. Most of it is born from the graduation age for genin. She believes they shouldn’t graduate for another five years at the absolute least. Fortunately for her, she’s never tried to turn Naruto against the village. The opposite, she’s encouraging his loyalty despite her own distaste. As she’s encouraging him to do his best in the Academy despite not wanting him to become a ninja. She wants to keep him safe.

She knows he’s never going to be safe.

Her lack of loyalty isn’t a real problem. But it’s still there.

Except she was genuinely comforted by his presence. Oh, there’s some annoyance and exasperation at the general need to be watched, but she nonetheless feels safer with him around. Yes, the feeling is born from him saving her and Naruto, and yes, she’s skilled at separating her dislike of the village from the individuals in it. But even adding that in, her complete lack of discomfort can only be explained away by an underlying loyalty that’s stronger than expected.

He’ll be able to gauge how deep that loyalty goes if he leaves another note. 

Wolf disapproves very strongly.

Wolf isn’t denying he’d be able to determine the extent of her loyalty. Kakashi comes to a decision. 

He slips inside, grabs the notebook she tore a page out of last time and writes.

_No more food?_

Soundlessly tearing out the page, he folds it and places it on the shelf that contains her novels. The bookcase is out of sight of the window, and she has a habit of glancing at her published work. The novels are placed well above Naruto’s line of sight as well. Best place to leave it.

Kakashi slips outside.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject leaves the bathroom, returning to visual range. Subject notices the note. Subject becomes curious. Subject did not expect the interaction to continue.

Subject reads the note. Subject rolls her eyes. Subject is exasperated. Subject shows no discomfort or fear.

Subject replies, the angle allowing Wolf to read along.

**_It was a one time deal, motivated by exceptional circumstances._ **

Wolf’s prediction was correct. Wolf is pleased. Kakashi is disappointed. Would have been more fun if she’d gotten worked up.

...All right, this was a bad idea. Riling up his target just because he’s bored goes beyond being unprofessional. It’s actively harming the mission. 

Wolf agrees. Strongly.

He’ll stop doing this. Wolf is pleased.

Wolf becomes more alert. Subject is moving towards the bookcase instead of the window. Subject is intending to leave the note in the same place Wolf did. Subject previously left the offerings outside in an attempt to establish boundaries. Subject is now loosening those boundaries. Wolf considers. Subject did not expect another interaction. Subject now assumes this will keep happening. Subject is willing to accomodate Wolf.

Subject has formed a personal connection with Wolf. Behavior is in line with previously gathered data.

Previously gathered data indicates the subject will become annoyed when no more interactions are forthcoming.

Well. Seems he got what he wanted after all. If he’d kept quiet, she would have continued her life with no more than the occasional thought for him. Now, she’s going to become annoyed when he fails to write again. Kakashi won’t lie, he’s looking forward to that. Any entertainment is better than nothing.

Wolf disapproves of his attitude.

He isn’t going to write again, so Wolf has no reason to complain.

Wolf disagrees. Wolf points out they need to report to Hokage-sama at the usual time.

Kakashi firmly reminds himself that nothing is going to happen. The Third will be amused. He will be. Literally the only reason Kakashi went through with this is because he knows that with absolute certainty.

Doesn’t stop him from worrying.

* * *

“Report.”

“Subject and jinchuuriki have recovered from the attack. Subject taught the jinchuuriki that while it’s all right to feel fear, it’s not all right to give in to it. She also encouraged the jinchuuriki to work hard at the Academy. She wants the jinchuuriki to be capable of defending himself.”

Hokage-sama is pleased. Hokage-sama needs to be informed about the breach in competence.

“My intervention caused the subject to realise she’s being held under surveillance.”

“How did she respond?”

“With unexpected loyalty.”

Hokage-sama is surprised. Wolf elaborates.

“She feels no resentment over being observed. While a significant part of that is caused by the rescue, this kind of ease is only possible by believing the village will never harm her or her loved ones. The belief is entirely unconscious and, unless confronted with physical violence, not easily broken.”

Hokage-sama is pleased. Hokage-sama does not yet know about the breach of competence.

“She offered me a slice of cake as a gesture of gratitude.”

Hokage is surprised again. Hokage-sama is amused.

“And did you accept her offer?”

Hokage-sama expects a negative answer.

“I informed her the offer was unsatisfactory.”

Hokage-sama is very surprised. Wolf informs Hokage-sama of the extent of their incompetence.

“Subject had placed a note with the cake. The message was; thanks for the rescue. I responded that I don’t like sweet things.”

Hokage-sama is smiling. Kakashi is relieved.

Wolf informs Hokage-sama of the full extent of their interaction with the subject. Hokage-sama’s amusement makes way for great surprise.

Hokage-sama closes his eyes. Hokage-sama is hiding his feelings. Wolf expects a reprimand. Kakashi knows there won’t be one but he still worries a little. Fine, he’s worrying a lot. Now that he’s said it all out loud, he can see exactly how out of line he was.

The Third chuckles. Kakashi is so relieved.

“And what has her response taught you?”

Wolf informs Hokage-sama of all the things learned from the subject’s response. Hokage-sama appreciates the information. Hokage-sama remains amused.

“Your insight is valued.”

Wolf is pleased. Wolf still believes they should be reprimanded. They were unprofessional.

“It won’t happen again, Hokage-sama.”

Wolf will make sure of that.

Kakashi can’t argue. He really crossed a line here. Wolf is satisfied.

Hokage-sama smiles. Wolf becomes alert. That smile means Hokage-sama is planning something.

“I disagree. You’ve gathered valuable intel. You should keep doing so. Consider it an adjustment in mission parameters, Wolf.”

Wolf heeds the command.

“By your command, Hokage-sama.”

“Dismissed.”

Wolf flickers away.

Kakashi can’t believe the Third is actually encouraging him to keep doing this. Sure, the Third is all but certain that Mariko is the civilian she seems to be, but still. Just what is the Third thinking?

...The Third is thinking that he needs a life outside of ANBU. And if he refuses to do so, the Third will use underhanded tactics to make him reconsider.

Kakashi deliberately ignores that. If the Third is offering him a way to lessen his boredom, he isn’t going to complain. Seems Mariko isn’t going to get annoyed by a lack of response after all. Though she’s going to be annoyed in other ways.

Can’t disobey the Third after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote some more. Hope you have as much fun reading it as I had fun writing it :)


	3. The Beginning - Part 2

Subject’s breathing is deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing is deep and steady. Wolf observes.

Kakashi considers his options. The Third has given him permission, which means he can do far more than leave the occasional note. If he plays his hand right, he’ll be able to get both free dinner and real entertainment in the form of riling her up. The trick is to do it in such a way that she won’t talk about him to her friends.

He needs to start slow. Takahashi Mariko is fairly private by nature. While she shares a lot with her friends, there are things she keeps close to her chest. Him being ANBU further heightens her natural tendency to keep quiet. Even so, if he moves too fast, she’s going to feel threatened enough to seek outside reassurance.

He needs to keep her comfortable. He’s generated a lot of good will by saving her and Naruto, and now he needs to capitalize that. He can push, but not so much that she’ll feel threatened.

He needs to push in a specific way if he wants to get free dinner. 

Wolf reminds him they need to push in a way that will reveal additional intel.

Literally everything she does gives him more intel. But if he ever needs to investigate something more deeply, his current plan will offer a great tool. He’ll be able to interrogate her without her even realising that he’s doing so. Wolf agrees with this assessment.

Kakashi slips inside her home and grabs some chopsticks. She's adjusted her cooking ever since Naruto moved in, now making enough to add a decent fixing to his lunch box. The Kyuubi means that Naruto requires a lot of carbs. Like mother, like son.

Tonight, Mariko made miso. Kakashi resists the urge to take half of the leftovers. Instead he settles for two bites. A surefire way to lose all good will is by making her feel like he's putting Naruto in danger. That includes the danger of him going hungry. 

Though small, he enjoys the treat. She isn’t a bad cook, though she isn’t an Akimichi either. Still, free miso of decent quality. He definitely isn’t complaining.

He does a final check to ensure the leftovers and chopsticks hold no trace of evidence, before placing them back in their original positions. Then he grabs the note on the bookcase.

_The miso was delicious._

Wolf considers. Subject will check how much miso remains. Subject will be annoyed by the crossing of boundaries, but the relief of seeing that the jinchuuriki has enough nourishment will encourage her sense of safety. Wolf predicts that the subject will order them to, quote, _stop stealing her food_ , but the subject will also assume they won’t listen and make a bigger amount of dinner than usual.

Kakashi is looking forward to seeing if he’s right.

* * *

**_Stop stealing my food._ **

He was right. On both accounts. When evening arrives, she cooks more than usual. Not enough to constitute as a whole meal, but more than enough to be a decent treat. Really, if she wants him to stop, she shouldn’t extend an invitation like this.

Subject’s breathing turns deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing remains deep and steady. Wolf waits until the patrol clears the area.

Kakashi slips inside and grabs the portion she so kindly made for him. He slips back outside.

Wolf uses Obito’s eyes to perform a thorough check of his surroundings. Wolf concludes the area to be free of interference. Wolf casts an area illusion to further reduce the threat of observation.

Kakashi summons everyone. Wolf signals the need to be quiet. Their hounds examine the area. They relax when they conclude there's no danger.

“Boss!”

Guruko is on the verge of breaking their command. Kakashi catches both him and Bisuke when they leap towards him. Guruko licks their mask while Bisuke attempts to escape his hold and get to the beef. Kakashi feels the - love - warmth only his summons can inspire.

Pakkun sighs. The volume falls within acceptable limits.

“Please tell me all of us aren’t supposed to watch the lady and her pup.”

“All of you aren’t supposed to watch the lady and her pup,” Kakashi obligingly tells him. Pakkun was pretty sure that would be the answer but he's still relieved. So are the others.

They're as tired with this assignment as he is. But they’re still doing exemplary work. That deserves a reward.

“I bring treats.”

All of them perk up and their eyes zero in on the beef Bisuke is still trying to get to. They take in the scent more fully. Akino, whose eyes are useless, has already finished scenting everything there is to know about the meat. Kakashi nudges Guruko down and grabs Bisuke in a way that lets Bisuke know playtime is over. Bisuke gives him such a sad look as he puts him down.

It disappears when Kakashi heats the beef and lifts it in a telling way. Bisuke and the others crouch down, tails wagging with anticipation. Wolf signals the need for stealth and waits until all have activated camouflaging techniques. Kakashi is smiling.

“Catch.”

He throws the beef high enough to leave the illusion and scattered enough that it will be a challenge to catch. Occasionally being seen is part of his job after all. Everyone knows Mariko is being held under watch, but by doing things like this, the right people know who her watch is.

The displacement of air reveals just how fast his summons jump up. A Hyuuga or Uchiha would see them, and some others would be able to register their presence from a distance as well. But most wouldn’t be able to spot them even a little. Kakashi is proud.

When all the beef has been caught, his summons return and drop out of stealth.

Guruko and Shiba are already swallowing down what they caught, hasty eaters as ever. Pakkun, Bull, Uhei and Urushi finish shortly after them, but Akino and Bisuke are still savoring every bite. Akino because he always takes his time when eating, and Bisuke because beef is his favorite.

“Thanks, boss!” Guruko exclaims almost too loudly. Low volumes do not come naturally to him. “This was awesome!”

“Yeah, it was good,” Pakkun says, calm but pleased. Bull signals that he enjoyed the treat as well.

“Too dry for my tastes,” Uhei says, picky as ever. Kakashi has yet to find a treat Uhei can't find fault with.

“Could’ve used more juice,” Urushi agrees. While he isn’t as picky as Uhei by far, he usually has a comment ready as well. “Wasn’t bad, though.”

“Is there more?”

Shiba’s question makes everyone aim their most powerful puppy eyes at him. That includes Uhei. Uhei might criticize every treat, but most of the time he’s more than happy to get more of it.

“There’s more inside,” Akino informs the others without halting his puppy pleading. Akino’s sense of smell will never cease to amaze him.

Alas, Kakashi has to disappoint.

“That’s it for tonight."

“But not for other nights?” Bisuke asks hopefully, immediately picking up on the phrasing. Kakashi is pleased at the answer he can give.

“Not for other nights.” If all goes right, he’ll be able to treat his summons to cooking not his own a lot more often.

The news is greeted with cheers, soft barks accompanied by wagging tails. Like he doesn't spoil them with treats already.

Kakashi sits down and braces himself when all but Akino and Bisuke leap towards him. Pakkun claims his head and Bull covers his back. Eliminating his blindspots like always.

Like always, the others playfully snap and growl at each other, squirming over him as they work to claim a piece of him. This time Shiba and Guruko manage to claim the prized position that is his lap, so Uhei and Urushi settle for his sides instead.

Bisuke finishes the remainder of his treat and jumps onto Shiba. Taking advantage of his small size to claim the top spot. Easier when Shiba is available as a seat, Shiba is always up for Bisuke's cuddles.

When they've all gotten comfortable, Kakashi starts petting them in the way they like best, dividing his attention between the bellies, flanks and and ears all pointedly aimed at him. Tails wag hard wherever he passes.

Akino finishes his treat and sprawls down in front of him, rolling to his back so his belly is on display as well. Kakashi gives him the same attention as the others.

Far too soon, Wolf informs him that their break has passed. Kakashi resists the urge to sigh. Then he debates whether or not he should sacrifice some of his workout so he can stay a little longer. But no. The lack of action means he needs those workouts in order to keep from going insane. Well, they keep him from going more insane.

He shares the news that the break has ended.

“One of you has to keep watch.”

“Not it!”

The almost too loud chorus comes from six, and Bull signs the same, finishing in fourth place. Yet for once, it doesn't come down to a split moment difference.

All of them look at Bisuke, the only one who didn’t speak. Bisuke flicks his tail, ever so casual.

“I don’t mind.”

“No taking her beef,” Kakashi says firmly. The way Bisuke’s nose twitches reveals that he was right to do so. “That’s an order, Bisuke,” Wolf says.

Bisuke obeys with a dramatic groan.

“If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have volunteered.”

“Sucks to be you,” Urushi says with a grin. Bisuke gives a halfhearted glare back.

After a final pet to all, Kakashi dispels everyone but Bisuke. Then he pets Bisuke more thoroughly, to make up for the lack of beef. Bisuke appreciates it.

Wolf informs Bisuke of the mission parameters. Bisuke confirms them. Wolf dispels the illusion and uses Obito's eye to perform another thorough check of their surroundings. Wolf concludes the area to remain free of interference.

Kakashi slips inside.

_The beef was a little dry._

Subject will feel minor offense and moderate exasperation. Subject will respond with an insult. Subject will either continue on as she did this night, or subject will set aside a full portion.

Kakashi hopes it’ll be the latter. He cooks regularly, he’d grow even more fed up with the taste of nutrient bars than he already is otherwise. But even with the company of his summons, it’s not a chore he enjoys. He’d like to stop doing it as soon as possible. Means he’ll have a little more time to do more pleasant things instead. Still, it's fine if she decides to make another partial serving instead.

If she doesn’t put aside a full dinner for him tomorrow, she’s going to do it the day after.

* * *

**_Seriously? Bastard._ **

Kakashi is amused. Sure, he expected the response, but that doesn’t make it any less humorous. Or any less impressive. Say what you will about Takahashi Mariko, but bravery she does not lack. Even with him deliberately keeping her comfortable, most would never insult an Anbu like this.

But then, most would never have tried to adopt Naruto either. Not for the right reasons.

Wolf observes. Kakashi waits for evening to arrive. When it does, he becomes pleased.

She’s cooking for three. Mission accomplished.

Jinchuuriki notices the additional meal when the subject places it on the bookcase.

“Who’s that for?”

“A stray cat.”

Should he be insulted at being called that? It's a good way to keep Naruto from revealing what's going on, but flattering it is not.

Jinchuuriki considers whether or not the subject is speaking the truth. Jinchuuriki concludes that the subject is lying.

“You’re making fun of me!”

Subject grins. Subject does not consider herself to be lying. Wolf concludes that the subject would have informed the jinchuuriki about the surveillance had he been older. Not surprising. While she loves to tease Naruto, she does her best to keep from outright lying to him.

“I promise I’m not making fun of you.”

She's merely informing him of the truth in a coded manner.

Subject turning her claim into a promise convinces the jinchuuriki that she’s being truthful. Jinchuuriki becomes curious.

“It’s really for a stray cat?”

Subject nods. Subject is pleased with the code she came up with. She thinks she's so clever.

“It really is.”

Kakashi decides to let the insult pass. He’s accomplished his goal of free dinner after all. 

Now to start getting her used enough to his presence that he can rile her up without it becoming public knowledge.

_I’m touched._

* * *

**_Damage control, nothing more._**

* * *

Subject and jinchuuriki are within auditory range.

“Mari-nee, I don’t want to!”

“Naruto, get in the bath.”

Subject is annoyed. Kakashi is amused. While it’s boring to observe her most of the time, bath time is always entertaining, courtesy of Naruto’s intense dislike of washing. Now that’s something he inherited from neither of his parents.

“I washed this morning!”

“And then you went to the park and rolled through the mud. Get in the bath.”

Odds of the jinchuuriki requiring another command, ninety percent. Odds of the jinchuuriki splashing water at the subject after obeying, ninety-five percent.

Jinchuuriki doesn’t obey the command. Subject speaks with an audible glare.

“Now.”

Jinchuuriki obeys. Jinchuuriki splashes the water. Subject lets out a frustrated sound. This won't end without her getting a bath of her own. How sad.

After finishing his free dinner of the night, he writes with flourish. He needs to make himself feel like an entity exclusive to her apartment. The bath war gives him the perfect opportunity for that.

_Congratulations on winning the war._

* * *

Subject opens her bedroom door and looks for the note. Subject has displayed this behavior for the past three days.

He's already part of her morning routine. Excellent.

When she reads the note, she needs a moment to realise what he’s referring to. Then she becomes amused. Everything is going according to plan.

**_It was a hard won victory. There was mud in places I literally hadn’t thought possible._**

* * *

Subject is watching the argument between Nakamura Rukia and Renji. Subject is amused. Subject is being observed by four off duty ninja. The off duty ninja display no suspicious behavior. Wolf is alert for signs indicating otherwise.

“I’m just saying, it’s flashy.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being flashy.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being not flashy either.”

“Renji, of the two of us, who’s the one with a working fashion sense?”

“Most of the time I’d say you, but I’m having second thoughts right now.”

Nakamura Rukia and Renji continue their argument about the new outfit Nakamura Rukia is wearing. The off duty ninja continue to pay acceptable attention to the subject and her friends. 

Subject and her friends are unaware of the current attention. Subject and her friends are aware that the subject is a popular topic with the general forces, but unless confronted with open attention, subject and her friends generally pay the matter no thought.

Subject continues to observe her friends, relaxed. Subject holds no strong opinion on the matter being discussed. 

Tanaka Shiro does hold a strong opinion on the matter. Tanaka Shiro agrees with Nakamura Rukia. Wolf predicts that Tanaka Shiro will verbally join the argument soon. When he does, the subject will respond by taking Nakamura Renji’s side. 

Subject hasn’t informed her friends of her interaction with Wolf. Subject’s friends mentioned Wolf to the subject a total of six times, but halted after becoming certain that the subject is unbothered by the surveillance. Subject’s friends still feel minor worry, but unless the subject brings up the topic herself, subject’s friends won’t discuss the matter further.

Kakashi is glad all of them are being sensible about this. That’s all the thought he can spare though, he needs to remain focused. The tea house is an excellent place to observe Mariko without rousing suspicion. Most are just curious about the woman who adopted the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, but some hold ulterior motives. Those are the ones he needs to keep an eye out for. Right now no one is displaying suspicious behavior, though.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject’s breathing is deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing is deep and steady.

Kakashi finishes his dinner and considers. He could leave another placating note, or he could take the next step in getting her comfortable with being riled up.

Wolf points out the risk inherent in crossing boundaries too hard and too fast. 

That’s true. On the other hand, this would be an excellent way to test her. Yes, he’s certain that she is what she seems to be, but certainty leads to complacency. The truth of the matter is that he has no definitive proof of there being no ulterior motivations. Either for adopting Naruto, or for reaching out to him. Of course, if she’s really as she seems, definitive proof isn’t truly possible. He can only draw conclusions from a lack of evidence.

He can create situations where hidden motivations would be revealed more easily. 

Kakashi grabs the note. 

_The structural integrity of that castle is lower than zero._

Now this is a true crossing of boundaries. She’s possessive of her stories in progress. Him confronting her with the fact that he’s reading her writing is going to throw up all her defenses. Him actually criticizing her writing? She’s going to retaliate. She’s going to warn him off in the strongest terms possible, and if he doesn’t comply, she’s going to try to make good on her threat. She’s pretty good at revenge, tailoring it to her target for maximum effect. Given how little information she has on him, she’s going to do something food related. Most likely, it will involve sugar.

Kakashi folds the note.

Wolf stops him from placing it down. Subject’s writing is her primary outlet for personal issues. Subject writes professionally for the most part, but subject writes down personal thoughts as well. By confronting the subject with the fact that those thoughts are no longer private, they greatly threaten the subject’s sense of safety. They will cause the subject to change her behavior and deny themselves a valuable source of intel.

Kakashi grimaces. Complacency is unavoidable with an assignment like this, and him having gotten permission to loosen up a little has worsened it significantly. Still, he’s further along than he thought. Wolf should have stopped him sooner.

He considers, truly considers, all the potential outcomes of this action. Yes, this is going to make her feel threatened. But he’ll get her back in her comfort zone by pretending to fall for her revenge. In fact, making her feel like she scored a victory against the Anbu watching her, will cause her to be even more at ease with his presence. That’s a good long term benefit.

The loss of personal intel outweighs it. But will she really stop writing down her thoughts? Or rather, will this delay the return of it? She hasn’t written anything incriminating since she began the process of adopting Naruto. She might not have realised she was being held under surveillance the entire time, but she was well aware that they were going to dig up every little detail of her life. Yes, she’s written about her fears of being a good guardian. How scared she is of being unable to meet Naruto’s needs, how terrified she is of the responsibility that comes from raising a child. But she’s visibly stopped herself from expressing either fear or frustration with the village as a whole.

This won’t delay the return of those writings. She won’t feel safe enough to express disloyalty again until she’s convinced she’s no longer being held under surveillance. It was unexpected for her to stop in the first place, really. She always burns her personal writings. Kakashi expected her to just start burning them as soon as she finished getting her thoughts out, instead of waiting a day or two before doing so. Her halting those writings entirely revealed that she’s more aware of village politics than previously believed. She just deliberately chooses to ignore them most of the time.

When considering that, his current course of action is beneficial. She’s good at compartmentalizing, does it without conscious consideration. As long as he doesn’t bring up her personal writings, she won’t dwell on the fact that he’s reading those as well. At the same time, by prodding her like this, she’ll have a new outlet for her distaste of village politics. As an Anbu, he’s a perfect representation of everything she hates about the village. She’ll be able to channel her frustration into their interaction. The channeling won’t be conscious, but it will definitely be there. Which means she won’t feel the need to express her frustration to her friends instead.

Wolf agrees with this assessment. Wolf allows Kakashi to place down the note.

Kakashi still hesitates before leaving, considering everything once more. This... is indeed a risky move. If he’s misjudged how comfortable she’s gotten with him, she won’t get angry. She’ll become afraid. And she’s going to tell her friends. Can he recover from that?

Yes, he can. Best case scenario, he’ll head off discovery by leaving another note before she sees her friends. Worst case scenario, he’ll put her at ease again after she’s already confessed to her friends. But her friends won’t spread the information around. They’ll talk about it, but not in such a way that it will hit the general rumor mill. And should it be discovered by someone high ranked enough to bring up the issue with the Third, the Third will back him. 

Satisfied, Kakashi returns to his post. Even so, a sense of caution remains.

He’s enjoying that. It’s been far too long since he felt even a hint of nerves. Oh, there was some worry about how the Third would originally react to his actions, but that was personal. These are the nerves of a mission. It’s very nice indeed.

Wolf observes.

* * *

 **_Read my drafts again and I_ ** **_will_** **_hurt you._ **

Kakashi is both relieved and disappointed. Her being angry means that there’s no risk of her sharing with her friends, meaning there’s no need for damage control.

It also means she’s going to start planning vengeance. No part of her believes that he’s going to listen. Which, given his previous behavior, is a sensible conclusion.

This is the perfect time to start getting her used to more than one note a day. She’s already unbalanced by him commenting on her writing. If he breaks pattern now, she’ll be focused on the confirmation that he’s not going to listen and not on what it might mean that he’s responding more than usual. And when he pretends to fall for her revenge, she’s going to unconsciously accept the multiple responses as normal.

Wolf follows the subject as she walks the jinchuuriki to school. Wolf follows the subject back to her residence. Wolf observes.

Kakashi writes. He needs to confirm that he’s going to read her drafts again without making it obvious that he’s doing so on purpose. He knows just how to do that.

_Cute. Like a kitten hissing at a lion._

Subject is surprised to see that the note has moved. Subject shows no suspicion. In some ways, she’s so naive. Civilians.

Subject reads the response. Subject rolls her eyes. Subject is annoyed by the patronizing. Subject does not realise that the message is purposely intended to strengthen her conviction that her warning will not be heeded. Kakashi is pleased.

Subject writes. Kakashi reads along.

**_Two notes in one day, I feel so special. And do you really want to test my creativity?_ **

He really wants to. But that needs to wait until tomorrow. Breaking the pattern further holds too much risk.

Subject prepares to continue her professional writing. Kakashi is amused to see her struggle with the need to fix the flaw he pointed out. She won’t be able to let this go. But for now, she manages to resist enough to continue where she last left off. 

She's seated at an angle she believes will prevent him from reading along. She's wrong.

Subject writes.

Kakashi is kind of curious where this story will go. She might be an average cook but she’s a good writer. Not his usual type, but beggars can’t be choosers. And it’s interesting to see a story develop from scratch. Shows just how much of the first draft is retconned as the plot progresses.

Kakashi reads along as the younger sister sets out to find her runaway older sister. Given the dramatic background between the two, the reunion is going to be big. But first Anna needs to reach the ice castle. That’s going to take a while yet. He wonders what’s going to happen to her along the way.

He wonders even more just what Takahashi Mariko is going to come up with as revenge.

* * *

_Bejeweled eyes? Really?_

**_You asked for it._**

* * *

Jinchuuriki’s breathing is deep and steady. Subject’s breathing turns deep and steady. Wolf waits until the three off duty nin have cleared the area.

Kakashi slips inside, ever so curious. She’s done something, that much was more than clear. He hasn’t been able to figure out just what, though. An impressive achievement on her part.

For dinner, she made teriyaki, and she was very generous with the sweet soy sauce indeed. If he didn’t know her, he might have thought that to be all she’s done. He does know her though, and making him choose between forgoing dinner or eating something he dislikes isn’t nearly enough to satisfy her vindictive streak. No, she wants to catch him off guard.

Kakashi starts his investigation by examining the things she brought home today. Which consist of snacks from the tea house she and her friends work at. She always takes things home with her, it’s what she uses to make Naruto’s lunchboxes. Because of that, he isn’t truly expecting them to have been tampered with.

He was wrong to do so. The onigiri were made with sugar instead of salt.

The pieces fall into place immediately. Sometime during her shift - early, it must have happened before Tori started making new batches - she wrote down a request for sugared onigiri - during a moment where she was out of sight of the windows, to prevent him from reading along - and gave it to Tori in the kitchen. The request must have included a plea to remain silent, because Tori made no mention of the onigiri. Oh, she gave Mariko more looks after she finished the new batches, but he assumed that to be born from growing impatience. Her friends have known about the revenge being planned since yesterday, and thus, they’ve been broadcasting pointed curiosity since then as well. That particular obfuscation wasn’t deliberate on Mariko’s part, but everything else was.

Kakashi is deeply impressed. Sure, a big part of why she succeeded is that he doesn’t often observe her in the kitchen when she’s working, she goes in and out so much that the risk of discovery outweighs the loss of visual intel. But this was still an excellent plan. She took into account that he would overhear her, took into account that he could read along her writing, and she took advantage of her usual routine so he wouldn’t suspect a thing. Combine that with her natural lack of tells and here they are.

She was trying to play on his known behavior. He’s shown her that he won’t stop taking her food even when told to, and she tried to take advantage of that. She wanted him to circumvent the sweet dinner by eating something else. Namely, the sugared onigiri.

She could have made a great ninja.

Really, he’d been planning to pretend to fall for her revenge no matter what, but now he does so without regret. A plan like this deserves to be rewarded.

He takes one of the onigiri, makes it seem like someone took a bite out of it, and grabs the note.

_That was one of the most disgusting things I have ever tasted. What did those poor onigiri ever do to you?_

* * *

Subject reads the note. Subject becomes exceptionally pleased.

She’s so proud of herself. It’s cute to see.

**_Revenge is sweet._ **

A pun worthy of a writer. Still, even though her plan deserves to be rewarded, part of him wants to tell her that her revenge was a failure after all. It would get an amazing rise out of her. But even ignoring that she’s earned this, telling her would do more harm than good. He’s pushed her enough. Now he needs to make her feel comfortable again.

Subject and jinchuuriki leave the residence. Wolf follows. Wolf observes.

Kakashi already knows what he’s going to say when she gets back home.

_It won’t work twice._

Subject returns to her residence. Subject searches for the note. She's expecting the break of pattern to continue. Excellent.

She reads the note. He might not be able to rile her up, but her smug pride really is cute to see. She’s genuinely convinced that he fell for her trick. Him, an Anbu, falling for the trick of a civilian. No shortage of confidence here.

**_Sure, you keep telling yourself that._**

* * *

Subject is with her friends. Subject and her friends are preparing to open the tea house. Wolf observes.

“All right, spill. What did you do?”

Subject pretends to be ignorant of what Nakamura Renji is referring to.

“What makes you think I did something?”

“You’re in a post-revenge mood.”

Subject smiles with exceptional satisfaction. She’s so easy to please.

“You know me so well.”

“Yes I do. Now spill.”

“I’m curious as well.”

Subject considers how to answer. Subject is aware that her friends will continue to question her until they’ve gained a satisfactory explanation. Subject has no intention of revealing Wolf’s identity. Kakashi isn’t surprised but he’s still glad.

“There’s a guy in my building who’s a total bastard. He also dislikes sweet things. Which is why I offered him some very special onigiri.”

Ito Tori laughs. Nakamura Renji grins. Nakamura Renji demands further details. Subject complies. Subject falsely claims her need for revenge was born from Wolf commenting on her cooking. Subject mocks Wolf for being arrogant and expresses pride and satisfaction at being able to deceive him. Subject falsely claims to have no intention of continuing their contact.

Subject manages to satisfy her friends without revealing Wolf’s identity. She handled this very well indeed. Unless someone already knew what was going on, this conversation would rouse no suspicion.

Really though, she’s kidding herself about not continuing this whole thing. Sure, she told herself that he’s the one always reaching out to her, she likes playing with the truth like that. But the roles are about to be reserved. She won’t be able to resist asking him for clarification on what’s wrong with the castle. Kakashi predicts it will happen tomorrow, the day after at the latest.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Jinchuuriki plays with his toy blocks. Subject glares at her writing. Subject is frustrated.

Kakashi is pleased. Knew she wouldn’t be able to let this go. 

Jinchuuriki notices the subject’s frustration.

“Nee-chan, why’re you so mad at the notebook?”

She responds without halting her glaring.

“Because damn technicalities.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means I hate my brain. Why oh why can’t I let this go?”

Because she’s a perfectionist when it comes to her work in progress. She can let go of it after she’s published a story, but not before.

Subject flips to a blank page and writes down a question, the angle allowing Wolf to read along.

**_Is it the material or the shape of the castle that makes it structurally unsound?_ **

The material. He isn’t planning on sharing that, though. Well, not immediately.

“Nee-chan, what’s that mean?”

Jinchuuriki is annoyed by the subject’s avoidance of his question. Subject elaborates in a calm manner. She might love teasing Naruto, but she always answers his questions as well.

“I’m having trouble writing something because I don’t have enough information.”

Jinchuuriki is satisfied with the clarification. It’s amazing just how much Naruto trusts her. His background doesn’t really lend to that.

Kakashi ignores the part of him that finds similarities in how Naruto looks up to her to how he himself used to look up to Minato-sensei. 

“Oh. Are you going to get the information?”

“I better.”

So bossy.

Subject places the new note on the bookcase and throws the old one into the trash. Wolf will destroy the evidence after the subject has gone to sleep.

Subject joins the jinchuuriki. Subject intends to distract herself from her frustration.

“What are you building?”

“The Hokage Tower! Look, this is the first floor, and that’s the second, and that’s the third, and look here!”

Subject relaxes as the jinchuuriki continues describing his project. Wolf observes.

Kakashi prepares to take the next step in his plan. Her need to get an answer will mean that what he's about to do won’t register as unusual to her. Or rather, it won’t inspire more than a fleeting consideration.

Subject starts the routine of getting the jinchuuriki into bed. Subject and jinchuuriki enter the jinchuuriki’s room. Subject reads more of her novel to the jinchuuriki. This behavior has become part of the jinchuuriki’s bedtime routine ever since the jinchuuriki confessed to having trouble reading. Estimated time until the subject leaves the jinchuuriki’s room, twenty-eight minutes.

Kakashi slips inside.

_This must really be bothering you. I thought you wanted me to stop reading your drafts?_

Subject finishes reading. Subject leaves the jinchuuriki's room.

She almost doesn’t notice the response. Normal, he’s never responded during the day without her leaving her home first.

Her surprise doesn't last long. And her need to have her question answered means she isn't wondering why he didn't wait until tomorrow. Excellent.

When she reads the note, she rolls her eyes. She’s more exasperated than annoyed, though. There’s some real humor as well.

She’s even more at ease with him than she used to be. Mission accomplished.

**_Because you are clearly someone who respects personal boundaries. Besides, do you see an invitation to read them? No. I’m asking for clarification on a previous statement, nothing more. Now answer the damn question._ **

It takes her a couple of moments before she realises she won’t get an answer as long as she remains in the room. She decides to solve this problem by taking a bathroom break. Self-conscious, Takahashi Mariko is not.

He slips inside and gives her the answer she wants. He needs to condition her to expect satisfaction after being riled up. It’s the best way to ensure she won’t share with her friends.

_It’s the material. Ice is too fragile. The lower levels would shatter beneath the weight of the upper ones. Not to mention that the foundation is too narrow to prevent the entire thing from toppling over. When building with ice, think less high cylinder and more low pyramid. Also, smaller windows. Much smaller windows._

Things like these are why he’s such a picky reader. Unless there’s a decent inverse explanation, the lack of basic realism bothers him. Breaks the suspense of disbelief in the worst of ways.

Wolf returns to his post. Wolf observes. Kakashi waits.

She immediately looks for the note. When she sees that it’s been moved, she marches over, impatient. It’s cute.

Her brows fly up when she sees how much he’s written. Her surprise only grows as she goes over the content. This is not what she expected.

**_I have to admit, I didn’t expect an answer like that. Ninja don’t seem like the building type._ **

Satisfied, she settles down with a novel not her own, planning to read. He won't lie, he’s a little disappointed. He wanted to see what she’d do with the information he gave. Seems she wants to let it sink in first, though.

Wolf observes.

When she goes back to the bathroom, preparing for bed, Kakashi slips inside again. His answer has mollified her enough that he can get away with a final break in pattern. And really, she gave him an opening too good to resist.

_If you understand how something is built up, you understand how to bring it down._

She was not expecting another reply. Still shows no suspicion of any kind, though. Just curiosity. And, when she unfolds the note, humor. She chuckles.

**_Much better._**

* * *

“Report.”

“Subject continues to display no suspicious behavior. None overtly tried to manipulate her to gain access to the jinchuuriki.”

Hokage-sama is glad. Wolf is pleased.

“When do you believe another attempt will be made?”

“Half a year from now at the earliest. People know she holds your protection.”

Wolf made sure of that.

“Anyone intelligent enough to pose a true threat will wait until they’re certain she no longer has a constant watch.”

Hokage-sama grimaces. Hokage-sama agrees with the assessment.

Hokage-sama is not looking forward to another attempt being made.

Hokage-sama decides to ignore the future threat. Hokage-sama wishes to speak of more pleasant matters.

“And what of the personal intel you’ve gathered?”

Wolf details the information gained through the exchange of notes. When Wolf informs Hokage-sama that the subject has begun to think of him as ‘the bastard’, Hokage-sama grins. When Wolf informs Hokage-sama that the subject is keeping the jinchuuriki from revealing sensitive information by referring to him as 'a stray cat', Hokage-sama chuckles. When Wolf informs Hokage-sama of the sugared onigiri, Hokage-sama laughs. Wolf is pleased.

“Your insight is valued.”

Hokage-sama means the sentiment more than usual. Wolf is very pleased.

“Dismissed.

Wolf flickers away.

Kakashi is a little embarrassed. Laying it all out to the Third makes his actions feel... childish. Which they are, he’s been well aware of that since the start. He just hadn’t cared. Now he does.

Should he dial it down? No, he’s bored enough as it is. And his antics are entertaining the Third. A lot.

He hasn’t made the Third laugh like that since before - Rin - he joined ANBU. The missions he usually goes on don’t leave a lot of room for humor. For the Third, this is a nice break.

For him, it’s a painfully tedious one. He’s going to be so glad when he can go back to routine check-ups. Naruto and his guardian might require a regular watch until Naruto has graduated at the earliest, but unless something drastic happens, they won’t require a permanent one. He just needs to get through another month or two, five at the absolute most, and then he’ll finally have his life back.

Kakashi ignores the part of him that sounds like Obito and which mockingly asks, _what life?_ He has a life and he’d like to get back to it. Soon.

Seeing as that isn’t going to happen, he’ll settle for taking his fun where he can.

* * *

_What did you decide to do with the castle?_

He knows what she decided to do. He’s just hoping to convince her otherwise. Really, he gives her a detailed explanation on all that’s wrong with the building, and she chooses to handle it like this?

**_Mention that the ice is magical and defies the laws of nature._ **

Admittedly, this is enough to satisfy the picky reader in him. Even so. Not a response worth the advice he gave.

_How cheap._

**_Fantasy literature. Realism is not required._ **

She isn’t going to be persuaded to change her mind. Well no, he could do it, but not right now. Going after her writing twice in this short a time would ruin all the progress he’s made.

He’ll return to this later. Or maybe he won’t. Kakashi will admit that his desire to change her mind is born from personal offense. From a story point of view, it’s better to have the castle defy the laws of nature. Ezra’s ice powers are, as stated, magical. Showing that through her castle first makes it easier to accept her bringing a snowman to life later on. 

Still. Maybe he’ll come back to this later anyway.

Not like he has much else to do.

* * *

Subject and jinchuuriki are at the subject’s place of work. Ito Tori is present. Nakamura Renji is not.

Subject and Ito Tori are closing down the tea house. Jinchuuriki is helping. Jinchuuriki is informing the subject and Ito Tori about his day. Wolf observes.

Kakashi is bored. What he wouldn’t give for a diversion. But he’s already performed several thorough checks of the surroundings. None are near enough to observe Mariko without external help.

He wishes she would hurry up and go home. At least then he could leave a note. Anything is better than this.

Wolf is displeased. This is unprofessional.

This is a natural consequence of not getting enough stimulation. But that doesn’t make it acceptable. Wolf agrees.

Wolf observes.

Kakashi really wishes she would hurry up.

* * *

Subject is within auditory range. Subject finds her release. Subject muffles her voice into her pillow.

Thanks to an earlier conversation, Kakashi is no longer quite as bored as before. Instead he’s wondering how she can be so utterly free of shame. Yes, she’s of the opinion that what she does in her home is no one’s business but her own, and yes, she feels zero shame over her bodily needs. Still. He expected some kind of discomfort or change in routine after she realised she was being held under watch. But no, she’s still continuing on exactly as she did before. It’s... expected behavior, she really isn’t self-conscious about this in the slightest. Yet still he finds it a little weird.

_I've been wondering for a while now. For a civilian, you're surprisingly aware in some ways. You have to realise that keeping quiet doesn't make a difference._

Kakashi slips outside. Wolf summons. 

Bull is not happy.

“I know. I feel the same,” Kakashi says. Sure, the conversation and dinner were nice, but that doesn't make up for how tedious the rest of the day is. 

Wolf signals the mission parameters. Bull confirms them. Kakashi pets Bull in the way he likes best. Wolf flickers away.

Wolf arrives at the residence. Wolf checks that the residence has been untampered with. Wolf concludes that the residence is safe. Wolf enters. Wolf performs another inspection. Wolf’s conclusion remains unchanged.

Wolf activates the security. Wolf takes off his mask.

Kakashi isn't going to complain again. He isn’t. It would make him even more annoyed with the mission, and that would increase the odds of making mistakes beyond what’s acceptable. Complacency might be unavoidable, but good ninja know how to handle it. 

Kakashi is a very good ninja.

After taking off his armor, he summons Shiba and Bisuke. When they realise why they were called over, their tails start wagging.

"Ready?" Kakashi asks, already feeling so much better.

"Ready," Bisuke says while crouching down. Kakashi smiles. Then he drops down into a one handed push-up. Bisuke jumps onto his back and takes on a precarious position, before barking at Shiba that they're ready.

Shiba darts forward and tries to push his arm out from beneath him. Kakashi hops to another position before Shiba can succeed, careful not to dislodge Bisuke and landing in the same stance as before. Shiba goes for his legs next. The effort required to keep his balance is so nice.

It isn’t the same kind of release Mariko found. But it’s a release nonetheless. 

By the end of his workout, he feels a lot better. He’s also a little curious as to how she’ll respond to his message. By all accounts, she won’t care in the slightest that he’s observing her during intimate times. But despite knowing that’s how she’s going to react, part of him still wonders.

It’s not a common reaction after all.

* * *

**_That isn't insulting at all. And it's for the brat's sake, not yours._ **

Obviously. The muffling of her voice started the moment she took in Naruto. But really, she doesn’t mind him pointing out that he’s well aware of what she’s doing?

_Don't want him to catch you in the act?_

**_Don't want to be interrupted before the good part._ **

She doesn’t mind. Neither is she getting a particular thrill out of him observing her.

She'd grow annoyed if he mentioned how weird her lack of caring is. She’d counter that if he has a problem with it, he’s free to leave at any time. She might not be swayed by people’s disapproval, but she does not enjoy people frowning over what she considers to be none of their business. And her bedroom life is very much no one’s business but her own.

He’s kind of glad that she’s so casual about this. Never would have brought this up otherwise, really. Would have felt too much like crossing a line.

He wonders how she’s going to handle her usual one night stands now that Naruto has moved in. She takes care of herself most of the time, but every month or two, she looks for someone to have fun with. Always takes them back to her place, she does not enjoy having sex in unfamiliar surroundings. But she hasn’t hooked up with anyone since she started the process of adopting Naruto.

She’s starting to miss it. Won’t take long before it starts truly annoying her. So how is she going to solve the problem? Have one of her friends watch over Naruto and have a one night stand at someone else’s place? That’s the most likely answer.

Won’t take long to find out if he’s right.

* * *

Subject is within visual and auditory range. Subject sighs. Subject is annoyed. Ito Tori is worried.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Subject is lying. Kakashi is amused. His prediction came true, the lack of hookups is getting to her. Now to see how she solves it.

“That didn’t sound like nothing.”

“It really is nothing, though. Nothing serious anyway.”

Seven are nearby enough to overhear the conversation. Wolf keeps track of them all. Wolf does not anticipate any sensitive information being revealed.

“But it’s something?”

Ito Tori’s question makes the subject confess. 

“All right, it’s something. Having a brat makes it difficult to go out and pick up a booty call.”

And she’s annoyed at how much it’s annoying her.

Ito Tori laughs. Subject gains a reluctant smile. Involuntary humor rising at her own frustration.

“I can take him for an evening if you want.”

Subject appreciates the offer. Subject has no intention of accepting.

“The brat doesn’t like sleeping anywhere but _his_ room. I don’t want to force the issue.”

As usual, Subject is considerate of the jinchuuriki’s background. Kakashi appreciates that. But really, she could have someone watch Naruto for the evening, have fun at her lover’s place, and then return to her own home. It’s not that hard to figure out.

Except the thought of having sex anywhere other than her place won’t even occur to her. For all that she’s great at rolling with the punches, she also clings to her routines with all her might.

“In that case, want me to babysit?”

Subject is relieved and grateful. Really? She’s going to have her friend watch over Naruto for the evening and return with her hookup after Naruto has already been put to bed? Here he thought she was clever.

“Tori, you are a gift from heaven.”

This is going to go so wrong. It’s going to be great.

“You must really be frustrated.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

Poor her. She’s going to remain frustrated. The odds of this not ending with Naruto interrupting at the worst time possible are low indeed.

Naturally, he says nothing of this. One, it’s too soon to comment on observations made outside of her home, and two, if he points out the flaw in this plan, she’s going to take it as parental advice for Naruto. Not something he wants to happen. Ever.

He can give other advice, though.

_The fish could have used more salt._

**_Ungrateful bastard. I feed you free of charge, and you actually have the nerve to complain?_ **

_I'm offering payment in the form of advice. I'm nice like that._

**_You are a true friend._ **

Amazing how dry she can make the written word sound.

It’s going to be even more amazing to see her one night stand blow up in her face.

* * *

Subject escorts Arashi Yukino out of her residence. Subject is exceptionally frustrated. 

Kakashi wants to laugh out loud. Now this was real entertainment. Even better, he’s gotten her comfortable enough that he can let her know exactly how he feels about the show without fear of discovery. He just needs to wait until she’s put Naruto back to bed.

She returns Naruto to his room and attempts to keep herself from expressing her anger with moderate success. She gets him calm enough to go back to sleep, but he’s going to need a lot of comfort in the morning. She should be able to give it to him by then. Right now she’s way too agitated, though. 

It’s fun to watch her pace her around. Poor her, so wound up with unreleased tension. 

He waits until she goes into the bathroom. She’s going to shower in the vain hope that it will calm her down. Even in the unlikely event that she does calm down, it would only take something little to set her off again. Such as three well placed words.

Kakashi slips inside.

_That was hilarious._

Leaving the note on the counter to ensure her eyes will land on it after leaving the bathroom, he returns to his post. Wolf observes. Kakashi waits with suspense.

She comes out of the bathroom. And sees the note.

Her glare is everything he wanted. It becomes even better when she reads the actual content. He can practically hear her call him a bastard.

**_Shut up._ **

She moves to get a glass of water, visibly cursing out everything that led to this situation. The opportunity is too good to resist.

Casting a minor illusion on her to make absolutely sure that she won’t notice him, he slips inside, writes another message and places the note back on the counter instead of the bookcase where she left it. He slips outside and dispels the illusion. The illusion was unnecessary, she hasn’t even finished draining her glass yet. But better safe than sorry.

She turns around. And sees the note. Her anger is beautiful.

_His timing was perfect._

She actually snarls. Well done, him.

**_Shut up! How did you even manage to reply? I never left the room._ **

She throws the note down the coffee table, sits down on the couch and crosses her arms as she all but eviscerates the note with her eyes. She’s planning on staring at it the entire night if need be.

How can he resist an invitation like this?

Casting another illusion, he slips back inside. She keeps glaring at the for her still stationary note. He opens the real note and writes with flourish. Folding the paper, he places it to the right of where it used to be and returns to his post. He dispels the illusion.

To her, the note seems to teleport to the side. She closes her eyes with a pained grimace. Partly cursing ninja for having chakra, mostly cursing her inability to ignore what he wrote. Her need to have the final word is one of the reasons she’s so easy to tease.

_I'm proficient. And don't you think you should have mentioned that there's a child living with you?_

She really should have mentioned that. Yes, he approves of how discrete she is, but this was a situation where she should have told. Her poor booty call got a nasty shock indeed. Or rather, her would be booty call did.

She does not appreciate his sensible advice.

**_Seriously? I didn't look away once. And it shouldn't have mattered, I told the brat to stay out of my room tonight no matter what._ **

Because there’s no way an academy student would ever break his word. Especially not when his mother figure was practically screaming. With pleasure, not pain, but Naruto hadn’t known that.

She keeps scowling at the note. Kindly extending another invitation. Kakashi happily takes her up on it. He casts another illusion.

_Very proficient. And to be fair, you were being loud._

She scoffs.

**_If you're not being made to scream, you're not doing it right._ **

Kakashi is grinning so hard. This is great. Exactly what he hoped for when he first started his plan.

He decides to be nice and let her have the final word. Sure, he could keep this going for another thirty minutes at the least, but that would be in poor taste after the show she treated him to. 

It’s cute how vicious her satisfaction is when she realises he’s done responding for the day. Makes him want to write again just to see how hard she’d blow up. Most likely there would only be a strangled sound of rage, but she might just be so pissed off she’ll start glaring out the window. Maybe even curse him out loud. That’s an alluring thought indeed. But no, he’s going to be nice. This time.

There’s going to be a great many other times where he can decide otherwise after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi is such a manipulative bastard. Already knew that, but wow, yeah, what a bastard. Good thing we still love him.


	4. The Middle - Part 2

**_Stop ignoring me. We need to talk this out._ **

No they don’t. There’s nothing to talk about. She’s trying to turn this into something it’s not, and he has no interest in that. As he made clear by taking off.

Kakashi leaves, having no intention whatsoever of staying any longer than he has to. Her friends are gone, meaning there’s no more conversation to keep from being overheard. 

He periodically passes by the next day. Just to make sure nothing sensitive is being discussed. No other reason.

He ignores the way she’s pointedly glaring out of the window during one of his passes. As he ignores how aggressively she writes in the evening.

**_Fine. From now on there will be no more dinner for you, and I’m going back to cooking sweet and fried things._ **

He doesn’t care. He’s been cooking his own meals since long before she showed up, and he can return to that without problem. Really, it will be - painful - a relief. He’s a better cook than she is.

Kakashi leaves. 

Wolf is summoned for a mission. Wolf gathers his team. Wolf sets out.

Kakashi ignores how Weasel is paying him a telling amount of attention. This has nothing to do with him, and if he tries to act otherwise, Kakashi is going to remind him just why he isn’t on his level yet.

Wolf privately orders Weasel to remain focused on the mission. Weasel obeys. 

Wolf and his team complete the mission. Wolf reports to Hokage-sama. Wolf is dismissed.

Kakashi stops by her place for security reasons. Nothing more. 

She’s scowling down at her writing and moving her pen in the way she always does when the words don't want to come. To check that no illusion has been cast on her, he opens Obito's eye. When he sees that - she’s angry. She’s hurt. She’s afraid - she hasn’t been compromised, he closes Obito’s eye. He’ll scan Naruto after she’s gone to pick him up from the Academy.

He ignores that she’s started a new story. So what if she hasn’t finished her other one? He doesn’t care that she’s suffering from a romantic writer’s block. Really, she’s letting this get to her far too much.

Kakashi casts a minor illusion and slips inside. He checks that nothing in her home has been tampered with in his absence. He isn’t doing so because he’s worried - yes he is - he’s doing so because the Third expects him to.

After he’s satisfied that her home is untampered with, he reads the note. Because he needs to know how likely she is to talk about this again. No other reason.

**_Really? I thought we were friends. Or are you denying that as well? Bastard._ **

**_Nice to know our friendship was never meaningful. Not to you anyway. Bastard._ **

She’s no longer writing to him every day. That’s - painful - good. She’s starting to accept that this arrangement is over.

Kakashi ignores the part of him that points out she isn’t starting to accept that at all. Instead he leaves her home and goes to his place. After checking his apartment hasn’t been tampered with either, Kakashi enters, performs another thorough check, and then he cleans his armor and weapons, takes a shower, before going out for groceries. He’s going to treat himself to miso and it will be better than anything she could have made.

He makes a quick stop at the Academy. Wasn’t planning on it initially, but he - worries - figures this is more efficient. Means he won’t need to see - how much he’s hurting her - every little detail about her again.

Naruto hasn’t been compromised either. Knowing that Minato’s son is fine makes him lose some of his tension. 

Kakashi returns to his place and summons everyone.

“Boss!”

He catches Guruko and feels himself unwind a little more when Guruko licks his mask. 

“We’re having miso?” Akino asks, hopeful. Akino loves miso almost as much as he does.

“We’re having miso,” he confirms. Akino is pleased.

“Still haven’t made up with lady, huh?”

Kakashi grabs a cutting board and knife. Pointedly ignoring Pakkun’s question. His summons are being ridiculous about this.

Bull, sensible as always, signs that they shouldn’t talk about this.

“Uhm, yeah we should,” Urushi says. Kakashi responds by ignoring that as well, cutting up vegetables instead. “Boss isn’t going to fix this on his own.” 

“Give him some time,” Uhei says like he’s talking about a child and not his summoner. “This is new for him.”

“This is none of our business,” Shiba says firmly. Shiba and Bull are now officially his favorites. “We shouldn't interfere unless it goes on too long.”

Shiba is making him reconsider his position as favorite.

“I don’t get why they’re fighting!” Guruko whines, because why not keep the discussion going?

“Boss probably heard something he didn’t like,” Pakkun says like he’s an expert on the matter. Bull nods an agreement. Urushi is about to disagree, but Guruko speaks up before he can.

“But they’re mates!”

That’s it.

“The next one to bring this up is getting no treat.”

Ears flatten and tails curl close. They give him uneasy looks, trying to determine how serious he is.

Kakashi makes clear he's very serious.

"Didn't say anything,” Akino is quick to remind him. Not taking any chances with miso.

"Didn't say anything either," Bisuke says just as quickly. Not taking any chances with treats in general.

"Keep up the good work," Kakashi tells them.

Urushi huffs, annoyed.

"We're just trying to help."

"Skirting the line, Urushi," Kakashi says, mild and casual. Urushi responds to the warning by trying to trip him up. Kakashi avoids him without halting his preparations.

Bisuke joins Urushi's assault with a wagging tail, and where Bisuke goes, Shiba follows. It doesn't take long for everyone else to join as well, forcing him to juggle ingredients and cut them mid-air so he can keep cooking without being made to fall flat on his face. Only Akino is on his side. The aid is appreciated.

The discussion is lost beneath the delight of a game. Kakashi feels familiar - not love, it can't be love - warmth rise. His summons are so easy to please.

The challenge they pose to his cooking also keeps his mind off - Mariko. Her name is Mariko. Not Mari.

The game keeps his mind off her for the most part.

When the miso is ready, the game immediately ends. He fills eight bowls and places them on the floor. His summons dive forward like the greedy things they are. Kakashi grabs chopsticks and sits down among them. He pulls down his mask and takes a bite. The miso is perfect, made just the way he likes.

It doesn’t taste as good as hers. Kakashi resists the urge to scowl. Instead he determinedly enjoys his perfect miso.

As usual, Guruko finishes first.

“This is amazing!” he exclaims. Guruki is Uhei's opposite when it comes to treats. Everything is his favorite. “Thanks, boss!”

“Too strong for my tastes."

As Kakashi knew it would be.

“Nah, it was good." Urushi says, before he gives him a look that means he’s about to bring up Mariko. “Better than lady’s miso.”

“It is,” Kakashi says, completely truthful. In every way, it’s better than her miso. Which means there’s no reason for it to taste less good than hers. “The warning still stands,” he adds when Urushi prepares to say some more about her. Ururshi responds with a far too smug look.

“You’ve already given us treats."

“I haven’t petted you yet.”

All his summons let him know exactly what they think of his warning. Kakashi is offended. When has he ever not made good on his threats?

“Please, as if you could ever resist us,” Bisuke says, before he rolls onto his back and activates his most powerful puppy eyes. Kakashi resists the urge to pet the cutie.

“We’re adorable,” Pakkun agrees before hopping onto his shoulder. He puts on a puppy face as well and nuzzles his cheek. The urge to pet grows stronger. Kakashi valiantly keeps resisting.

“And so soft,” Uhei murmurs before brushing up against his hand. Letting him feel in detail just how soft his fur is.

Must keep resisting.

Shiba lays paw and head on his knee, and gives him a soulful look. He ups the ante even further by letting out a pitiful whine.

“Aren’t we good boys?”

Kakashi breaks.

“You’re sneaky and manipulative,” he says, a little annoyed but mostly fond. He starts petting everyone the way they like best. “And you’re very good boys.”

His summons are so proud. It’s adorable.

They don’t bring up Mariko again. Kakashi is grateful.

But really, there’s nothing to discuss. The arrangement between them is over. They have no reason to see each other outside of professional reasons.

Those professional reasons are why he stops by her home in the evening. And because this is professional, he goes after she’s already gone to sleep.

She’s written again. Must have decided to write to him once a week instead of daily.

Kakashi unfolds the note.

**_Stop being a bastard._ **

He isn't being a bastard. He’s being sensible. She should do the same. 

Kakashi leaves. The next day, he decides to pass by the Dancing Dragon. He needs to make sure she and her friends are being discreet about this after all.

He arrives on a nearby roof. And goes on high alert when there's the air displacement of another body flicker. He opens Obito's eye.

He sees - worry, curiosity, anger - a familiar chakra. Despite having known this was coming, Kakashi feels a sense of - dread - unease.

Shisui knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of debated whether or not to post this, or whether to keep writing chronologically instead. But life sucks, and writing this was fun, so I'm sharing it with you in the hope it brings you some fun as well. Have some in-denial!kakashi & adorable pack. As a treat.
> 
> Also, to everyone who commented, thanks. It made me really happy. And to anyone who might feel guilty about not commenting, don't. Life is hard right now, and this fic is meant to make it a little lighter. If it succeeds in that, it's done its job.
> 
> Stay safe.


	5. The Beginning - Part 3

**_I have a curiosity. Are you the only one stalking us?_ **

Wolf is alert. This is the first time the subject has expressed curiosity over sensitive information.

Kakashi is pleased. She’s been officially conditioned into not minding his presence even after being incredibly annoyed by him. All it took was some placating responses after her disastrous would be booty call. The responses themselves were fun as well.

_That’s classified._

Subject rolls her eyes, more amused than annoyed. Wolf is alert for any sign of suspicious behavior. 

Kakashi knows she’s asking out of mere curiosity. Now that she’s gotten comfortable with him, she’s allowing herself to think more deeply about his surveillance. And because she tries to ignore politics as much as possible, she’s focusing on the mechanics instead of what he might be getting out of their interaction. 

**_Let me rephrase. You’re human, you need to sleep. Do you leave when you do, or do you actually sleep in whatever place you happen to be skulking?_ **

_Still classified._

**_Seriously?_ **

_Seriously._

If he were to tell her he uses summons to keep watch in his absence, he’d be giving her a big clue to his identity. Sure, she has no access to the intel needed for the clue to be incriminating, but better safe than sorry. Also, telling her would be unprofessional.

**_What exactly do you think I’ll do with this information?_ **

Nothing right up until he pisses her off enough to want to take revenge again. Then she’d try to recruit his summons. Depending on who’s on watch and on what food she’d offer as a bribe, she’d succeed.

_Also classified._

This time the roll of her eyes is exasperated. He can practically hear her declare that ninja insane.

**_Just how paranoid can you get?_ **

_There’s no such thing as being too cautious._

**_Thank you for providing yet another piece of evidence that ninja are insane._ **

Called it.

_Always happy to help explain common sense to a civilian._

**_I’m not even going to dignify that with a response._ **

_You just did._

She scowls, ever so annoyed at not being able to have the final word. She also concludes that he’s the only one watching her. Her wondering on whether or not the surveillance was being done in shifts is what led to this exchange in the first place. While he can’t outright confirm that he’s the only one, implying it is fine. Means she remains in her comfort zone. If she concluded there were multiple Anbu involved, she’d re-evaluate every single one of their interactions. Who knows, she might even start considering just how much she’s giving away with these conversations.

Yeah, she wouldn’t start considering that. Not in depth that is. She’d need to believe she’s no longer being held under watch before doing that.

She pointedly doesn’t respond. Instead she starts cleaning her home. Kakashi is pleased. Point to him.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject’s breathing is deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing is deep and steady. Wolf observes.

Kakashi is looking forward to her response. Morning has arrived, meaning the second worst part of the day is over. The worst part is, of course, during the night, when he has to observe her and Naruto sleeping after a whole day of following her around. Doing so before dawn is boring as well, but one, it doesn’t last as long, and two, he does it after being well rested.

Her alarm goes off. As has become usual, she reads the note first thing after leaving her room.

_I would enjoy another show._

She becomes playful.

**_Too bad, I don’t perform on command._ **

Liar.

He waits until she goes into the bathroom to respond.

_Never?_

She grins. She doesn’t interpret the question as a real suggestion, he’d never have done this otherwise. Even for Anbu, there are lines that can’t be crossed. Seducing someone from your own village in the name of duty is one of them. 

Luckily, her lack of shame and her blindspot to romance means she considers this to be no different than banter about food.

**_There are some situations where I don’t mind._ **

_I am intrigued._

He isn’t, really. But he is curious as to how she’ll respond. He’s betting there’s going to be a blunt rejection.

**_Such a shame you have no chance in hell._ **

Called it.

_Ouch. Am I that repulsive?_

**_I like to have visual contact with any potential lover. I’m picky like that._ **

Kakashi is smiling. Yes, he’s aware that if anyone were to see this, they’d think they were flirting. But they aren’t. She feels no attraction to him and he feels no attraction to her.

Doesn’t make it any less fun to banter about this. Not often he gets the chance to do so after all. Well, he doesn’t often get the chance to do it without feeling the need to remain on guard.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject is working. Subject is happy. Jinchuuriki is happy. Wolf observes.

“And then Kiba tackled me and he was cheating because he was stronger than me, but I cheated back and tickled him and he laughed so hard and I rolled us over and I won, Tori, I won!”

“That’s amazing!”

“It is! And then he had to stand with the losers and I got to keep playing, but then the bastard tackled me too and he kept me from tickling him and I lost! That stupid bastard. I’m going to beat him tomorrow, just you watch!”

Subject is watching the jinchuuriki with a grin. Subject finds great humor in the jinchuuriki _having found a bastard of his own_. Subject is relieved that the jinchuuriki is starting to make friends. Kakashi is glad as well. Naruto is still an outcast to the civilian students, but the clan ones are starting to warm up to him. A consequence of not being warned away in quite the same way. And a consequence of Mariko teaching Minato's son some much needed life skills. 

Ito Tori encourages the jinchuuriki to keep talking.

“So you’re going to play again tomorrow?”

“Yeah! Kiba said he’s gonna beat me, but he won’t because I’m awesome and sneaky, and nee-chan taught me how to win!”

Jinchuuriki looks at the subject with adoration. Subject’s responds with a deliberate show of pride. The affirmation of her regard causes the jinchuuriki’s confidence to grow.

“I’m gonna beat the bastard too, Mari-nee!”

Subject grins. She’s never going to ask after the identity of Naruto's bastard. Having way too much fun with the moniker. 

She’s also happy to give Naruto some pointers.

“If tickling doesn’t work, try licking him.”

“I will!”

Ito Tori laughs. Kakashi feels - grief - warm. Minato and Kushina - died because of him - would be so happy at how Naruto is being cared for. They’d be so proud of him as well.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject’s breathing is deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing is deep and steady. Wolf observes.

Kakashi wonders how she’s going to respond. His bet is that she’ll - Wolf goes on high alert when there’s the air displacement of a body flicker, and Wolf opens Obito’s eye.

Wolf sees Crow. Rapidly considers. Crow is on duty, Crow is here for him, and Crow feels no significant worry.

Hokage-sama has a priority mission for Wolf. Crow is here to take over surveillance.

Crow signals that Wolf is to wrap up and report to Hokage-sama. Wolf signals confirmation and enters the subject’s residence. Wolf destroys the note, enters her room, creates a new note and places it on top of her alarm. Wolf has added a self-destruction seal to the paper. It will disintegrate one minute and forty-five seconds after the subject has opened it.

_I won’t be writing for a while. Don’t set aside dinner until you hear from me again._

Wolf leaves the residence and flickers away.

Kakashi allows himself a moment of exasperation. All this time worrying over her and her friends, and it never even occurred to him that discovery might happen from his end. It’s a serious oversight on his part.

He allows himself several moments of utter joy. Finally, some action.

Wolf reports to Hokage-sama. Hokage-sama gives him a mission. Priority retrieval. Adachi Mayuri, former Anbu turned traitor. Specialises in stealth, skilled with poisons. Was being questioned by T&I. Managed to escape forty-one minutes ago. Lethal force is to be used as a last resort.

Wolf gathers the needed supplies and items. Wolf summons Akino. 

Akino’s tail wags. Akino is pleased to have a retrieval mission. So is Kakashi. Oh yes, he is very pleased indeed.

Wolf gives Akino the blood and personal belongings. Akino inhales deeply, memorising both normal scents and chakra. Wolf takes Akino to the site of escape. Akino picks up on their target’s trail. 

Kakashi is so happy. Even more so when he discovers just how good their - not a comrade, not anymore - target is.

Their target avoids them for nine days. Adachi Mayuri deserves to be called a stealth expert.

Wolf and their hounds are expert trackers.

After the fifth near miss in two days, the target decides it would be more advantageous to go on the offensive. Wolf discovers that the target has led them into an ambush when traps activate. 

Akino is dispelled by a cloud of poison. Wolf fails to prevent this through being occupied with avoiding another trap. While dodging the kunai, Wolf rapidly assesses the area. Locates three more traps and four more suspected ones.

Wolf is prepared to defend against both liquid and gas. Target is former ANBU, knows what poisons Wolf’s mask offers protection against.

Wolf jumps to avoid poisoned kunai. Ducking would be disadvantageous, the kunai are meant to activate a trap behind them.

The trap contains an explosive seal. Wolf shields with chakra and moves with the blast before registering a change in airflow. Target is attempting to attack from behind. Target is wielding a blade. Wolf unsheathes their own and meets the target’s blade, deflecting it to the side and attempting to jab a pressure point in the target’s neck. Target dodges and kicks while dropping out of stealth completely. Unable to spare the required focus when in direct combat. 

Target is wearing a filter mask. Will be able to keep fighting without needing to protect against his own poisons.

Wolf engages the target, attempting to disable while deflecting answering attacks. Wolf is hampered by the need to avoid lethal force.

Kakashi is having the time of his life.

Wolf considers the best strategy. Decides to pretend to fall for a trap. When the opportunity presents itself, Wolf leaves an opening in their defense that won’t arouse suspicion.

Target takes the bait and kicks their ribs. Attempting to get them into a specific position. Wolf pretends to have more trouble recovering their balance than is true, their trajectory not adjusted enough to avoid the kill zone.

Target prepares to activate the trap in a manner that reveals it will release gas. The gas will not be transparent. Wolf holds their breath and protects their skin and eye, and when the target finishes activating the trap and gas covers the area, Wolf uses the cover provided to link the basic clone technique to an advanced earth technique. 

Wolf goes down into the earth. Wolf moves into position. The clone will act in the manner the target expects it to. Baiting the target into attacking.

Wolf registers vibrations that mean the target has placed one foot on the ground and surges upwards. Target realises what is happening fast enough to keep Wolf from breaking his foot, not fast enough to keep Wolf from sending lightning chakra into his system. Target’s mobility will be hampered slightly.

Life is beautiful.

Wolf leaves the earth, still protecting skin and eye from the lingering gas. Wolf exchanges blows with the target. Fails to knock the target unconscious, succeeds in disarming the target of blade and kunai.

So beautiful.

Target is growing desperate.

“I’m not going back!”

“You will,” Wolf says, deliberately cold and certain. Intending to provoke a reaction.

Target reacts as intended. The next combo is fatally sloppy. Wolf slips through the holes in the target’s defenses. Target becomes aware of the mistake made but is too late to perform counter measures.

Wolf knocks the target unconscious. Kakashi savors the rush.

Wolf seals away the target’s equipment and ties up the target. Wolf erases all evidence that the fight was caused by Konoha forces. Wolf creates decoy evidence that this fight was caused by Iwa, and creates underlying evidence that the fight was caused by Kumo. They are in Grass territory. Konoha cannot be seen disregarding the borders. 

Wolf takes the target back to Konoha.

Kakashi is so happy. This was exactly what he needed.

Wolf returns to Konoha. Wolf hands over the target to T&I. Wolf reports to Hokage-sama.

Hokage-sama is relieved.

“Your service is exemplary, Wolf.”

Wolf is pleased. 

“Take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow at 0600 hours, you return to your previous duty. Inform Crow he’s expected to report at 1915 hours. I expect to see you then as well.”

“By your command, Hokage-sama.”

“Dismissed.”

Wolf flickers away. Wolf arrives at the residence, checks that it hasn’t been tampered with, enters, and performs another thorough examination. Wolf is satisfied with the result. Wolf takes off his mask.

Kakashi raises his arms and arches his back in a delicious stretch. He feels so much better now.

He takes off his armor and checks the bruises and minor cuts he got during the fight. All of them are healing well. After cleaning his armor and weapons, he drops down his bed, wonderfully relaxed.

He really needed this. For the first time in four months, he faced an actual challenge. Mayuri was exceptionally skilled at hiding, leading him on a wild chase for nine whole days. Then there was the capture itself. Mayuri isn’t as good a fighter as him by far, but being unable to use lethal force made the fight tricky. It was wonderful. His brain, which had been starving for stimulation, is finally sated.

So is his body. Ignoring the fight, nine days of having a summon out took its toll on his chakra. He has about a third left. Will need five days to be back at full strength. Would have been three if he hadn’t taken a soldier pill, but again, keeping a summon out that long is draining.

Kakashi considers whether to write his report or whether to treat himself first instead. 

He decides to treat himself. Kakashi summons everyone.

“Five minutes,” he says as soon as everyone appears. Any longer and he’ll grow too low on chakra.

His summons immediately leap towards him. Pakkun claims his head, Bull covers his back, and Akino gets his lap as a reward for a job well done. The rest claim a piece of him with minimal fuss. Not wanting to waste precious time.

Kakashi pets everyone the way they like best, and praises Akino for the work he did. 

“We helped, too,” Shiba says. It’s true, Kakashi had to summon some of the others a grand total of three times. Mayuri really was exceptionally skilled.

“And you did a great job as well,” he praises, scratching Shiba’s ears with just the right amount of force. Shiba’s tail is wagging so hard. So is everyone else’s.

The five minutes are over far too soon. Kakashi regretfully dispels everyone. But he’ll be able to summon them again tomorrow.

He does another check to confirm that no one is capable of observing him, before he sits down at his desk and starts writing his report. Mayuri had not one but two well stocked supply stashes. One was located in village territory, the other near the border. Kakashi suspects there’s another stash near the Land of Iron. Mayuri was trying to flee there originally, but was forced to change course or risk capture by him. Well, risk earlier capture.

He writes down the locations and what he found in both stashes. Mayuri took everything essential from the first one, but the second one he had to abandon when Kakashi closed in earlier than expected. Kakashi writes down the conclusions he drew from both the stashes and the chase in general. Mayuri started making concrete plans to defect at least three weeks before his escape, though the idea must have been born at least half a year ago. That’s the age of the stash near Grass. Having a stash within village territory isn’t alarming, Kakashi himself has three. But unsanctioned stashes close to the borders? That’s a red flag.

He concludes with a personality assessment. T&I probably doesn’t need it, but Wolf prefers to be thorough.

Adachi Mayuri is careful and prefers to avoid direct conflict. He’s good at preparing for eventualities but slow to settle on a definitive course of action. He overthinks things and it turns him indecisive. 

Kakashi thinks back on their fight and considers. Does Mayuri panic easily when backed into a corner? Or was it because he was facing him in specific? Wolf’s reputation in ANBU outshines even Kakashi’s reputation among the general forces. On the other hand, given Mayuri’s avoidance of conflict, the panicking could be inherent. Worsened because of who he was facing, but not born from it.

Not enough data to draw a definitive conclusion. Kakashi writes about Mayuri’s eye for detail instead. Speculation won’t help anyone.

Wolf brings the report to ANBU headquarters. Kakashi returns to his apartment, puts on a disguise, and goes to eat at his favorite restaurant. Eleven days of rations means he’s in dire need of some Akimichi cuisine.

He orders miso. It’s delicious.

He chats with the waitress, Akimichi Chika. She knows him as Aki, no last name given and no clear clan affiliation. Aki is deliberately vague over his work as well, but he gives enough information to confirm he’s Konoha born, and he sometimes lets things slip that point to him working at the Tower. Most likely he works in Cryptology. Kakashi has fallen behind on village news because of his surveillance, Mariko sticks to civilian quarters for the most part. But she always drops Naruto off at the Academy, and she always goes to pick him up as well. He’s at the Tower enough to keep up the ruse of Aki.

Chika informs him of the latest news. The most noticeable is an incident between the Onikuma and the Inuzuka. An Onikuma chunin lost control during training and went on a rampage. In the process, an Inuzuka chunin sustained major injuries. The greatest injury was done to her hound, though. He lost his hind leg. The Inuzuka are demanding reparations. Kakashi muses on possible responses from the Onikuma, possible reactions to those responses from the Inzuka, and the most likely course of action the Third will take. 

After the conversation, he goes back to his apartment, showers in a deliciously intimate way, and then he takes advantage of his free time to get some real sleep. Mission sleep doesn’t allow for more than light slumber.

As usual, his dream is incredibly bizarre. His subconscious making up for all the dreams missed.

Kakashi is glad he doesn’t have a nightmare. Doesn’t get them often anymore, but it keeps being a relief every time he manages to sleep without one.

He has an hour left before he needs to get to work, so he does some light exercise. He also truly considers Mariko for the first time since he left. Now that he’s gotten a break from her, he can look at their interaction with an unbiased view.

He’s made her too comfortable with him. She thinks of him as a friend. He could turn their interaction more professional from now on, but that wouldn’t actually change anything. Whether he cools down the relationship now or whether he keeps going as before until the surveillance ends, the end result will be the same. She’s going to be hurt and lose some of her trust in the village as a whole.

The loss of trust won’t be big enough to pose a problem. So, better to keep doing as he did before. One, it carries less risk, two, it’s more entertaining.

He considers whether or not he’s missed a threat to her and Naruto. It’s possible. The last month especially he’s become too lax. Still examined all her interactions, still kept a lookout for any suspicious behavior around her, but he wasn’t at his best. On the bright side, if he did miss a threat, they’ll have gained confidence from remaining undiscovered, meaning they’ll probably be growing a little lax themselves. Combine that with him having gotten a break and he’ll be able to spot them now. Of course, this is assuming they managed to escape Crow’s notice. Unlike him, Crow wasn’t suffering from mental fatigue.

Kakashi is not looking forward to Crow’s heckling. Mariko won’t have written or made dinner, but her behavior will have told Crow everything Kakashi didn’t want known. And yes, Kakashi appreciates that the Third chose Crow, he’s one of the few Wolf is confident won’t use this information against him beyond annoying him. But the annoyance is going to be great and persistent.

When it’s time to return to duty, Kakashi arms himself and puts on Wolf’s mask.

Wolf arrives at the subject’s residence. Subject’s breathing is deep and steady. Jinchuuriki’s breathing is deep and steady.

Wolf uses Obito’s eye to locate Crow. Kakashi would enjoy sneaking up on him but Wolf refuses to act unprofessionally.

Wolf lands in front of Crow without hiding his presence in full. Crow goes on alert. Crow relaxes when he sees who it is. Crow drops concealment enough that Wolf won’t require Obito’s eye to communicate.

Wolf passes on Hokage-sama’s orders. Crow responds with a deliberate show of relief. Wolf disapproves of how unprofessional Crow is acting. Kakashi is amused. Poor Crow, needing to follow Mariko around for so long. And unlike him, Crow couldn’t use his summons to guard in his stead. Instead he, as Mariko puts it, had to sleep in whatever place he happened to be skulking.

Crow signals confirmation. Crow creates a minor auditory illusion. 

Kakashi isn’t going to like this.

“Have fun flirting.”

Called it.

Wolf orders Crow to obey Hokage-sama’s command. Kakashi ignores the pointed amusement aimed his way.

Crow flickers away. Wolf examines the subject, jinchuuriki, and the wards. All are in order. Wolf inspects the surrounding area, using Obito’s eye as little as possible. Wolf finds no trace of suspicious activity. Will perform a more thorough inspection in two days time, when their chakra has recovered more.

Wolf enters the subject’s residence and performs a thorough inspection of the subject and jinchuuriki. Subject and jinchuuriki are healthy. Subject and jinchuuriki haven’t been compromised.

She’s less annoyed than she should have been. Kakashi is more resigned than anything else. He knew his exit was going to make her reach out to her friends. Not like he had another choice, though.

He’ll find out how bad it is later today. For now, he needs to announce his return. Best thing to do is act like he was never gone. If he falls back into their usual routine, she’s going to do the same. Oh, there will be some attempted payback, but it should remain minor.

_Did I miss any shows?_

He places the note on the bookcase and slips outside. Wolf observes.

Subject’s alarm goes off. Subject leaves her room. 

Wolf is alert. Subject started moving towards the bookcase before spotting the note. Subject knew there was going to be one. 

Oh, this is even worse than he thought it was.

She reads the note with a grin. Wolf observes. Kakashi despairs.

Her reply is entirely expected yet still inspires a surge of incredulity.

**_Your replacement decided to take over your correspondence._ **

If Kakashi weren’t on duty, he would have closed his eye. Crow is such an asshole.

On the bright side, this means she probably hasn’t spoken to her friends. Even so.

_He did what?_

Even for Crow, this is a step too far. Kakashi had the excuse of suffering from debilitating boredom. Crow does not have the same excuse. Wolf disapproves greatly of how unprofessional Crow acted.

As intended, she’s pleased by how fast he replies. Given that he took off without warning, she wants a little payback. And she intends to do it through the information she has on Crow. Allowing her to see that this is genuinely bothering him will work to his advantage. Her vindictive streak will be soothed sooner.

**_My thoughts exactly._ **

This time he waits until she goes to the bathroom to respond. He needs to act like his first response was a slip of control. It’s what she expects.

_What did he say?_

**_Wouldn’t you like to know?_ **

_I would. That’s why I’m asking._

**_Really? I never would have guessed._ **

The response might be expected but that doesn’t make it any more pleasant. He won’t get his answer until the afternoon at the earliest.

Kakashi pushes all personal thoughts aside when she and Naruto leave for the Academy. Wolf observes. Wolf is alert for threats. Wolf analyses her interaction with all.

Wolf concludes she hasn’t informed her friends of their interaction. Kakashi would be more relieved if her friends weren’t so suspicious of her sudden high spirits. They’re going to interrogate her. This evening at the earliest, within five days at the latest. And they won't quit until Mariko confesses. Not fun.

Wolf sees no suspicious activity.

After she picks up Naruto from the Academy, Kakashi allows himself to relax a little. He also finally manages to get an answer out of her. Oh, he doesn’t get all the details, but he gets the most important intel.

Crow only wrote during the night. He left one note a day. Which means he assumes this is the pattern Kakashi followed. That’s great news. The heckling will still be awful, but it won’t be as bad as it could have been.

When the time to report arrives, Wolf summons Pakkun to keep watch. Wolf flickers away.

Kakashi isn’t going to like this debrief. He thought it a bit odd for the Third to want to question him and Crow at the same time, but he’d assumed the Third simply wished to have some fun.

He was right, the Third wants to have fun. And he’s going to use Crow's heckling to get it. Great.

Wolf and Crow kneel before Hokage-sama.

“Report.”

“Subject continues to display no ulterior motives. Her care for the jinchuuriki is genuine. No suspicious behavior was observed around her.”

“And she and-”

“Crow’s input is irrelevant to the mission.”

Hokage-sama and Crow are exceptionally surprised. Wolf is exceptionally displeased. That was unprofessional.

Wolf can go suck it. Crow wasn’t planning on saying anything relevant, he was planning to make a jab at him. It wasn’t wrong of Kakashi to say this. Kind of not wrong. So what if the Third got them together exactly for this purpose? It’s a personal desire on the Third’s part, not a professional one. 

Professional or personal, Hokage-sama must be obeyed. 

Hokage-sama recovers from his surprise. Hokage-sama is amused. Hokage-sama is playful.

“I’ll decide what is and isn’t relevant, Wolf.”

Wolf agrees with Hokage-sama’s assessment. Wolf does not allow Kakashi to feel mulish. Wolf will remain professional.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Continue, Crow.”

“She and Wolf are flirting.”

Wolf will not disobey Hokage-sama, but Wolf can feel disapproval at Crow’s behavior. This is false information.

“Wolf is gathering valuable intel through unconventional methods.”

Wolf is pleased. Wolf is aware that Hokage-sama agrees with Crow’s assessment in part, but Hokage-sama is also speaking the truth. Hokage-sama appreciates the intel gathered.

Crow agrees with Hokage-sama while making clear he still stands by his claim.

“Of course, Hokage-sama.”

Hokage-sama questions Crow further. Crow responds with a mixture of true and false information. Hokage-sama questions Wolf as well. Wolf responds with true information only. Wolf is professional. Unlike Crow.

“Your insight is valued.”

Wolf is pleased. So is Crow.

Hokage-sama remains playful. 

“Take the next half hour off, Wolf. Crow will bring you up to speed on village news. Crow, you're free for the next three days. Report to your captain after that.”

Wolf and Crow confirm their orders.

“Dismissed.”

Wolf and Crow flicker away. Wolf takes the lead. Crow follows.

Wolf and Crow arrive at Training Ground 48. Wolf and Crow examine their surroundings. Each concludes the area to be safe. Wolf and Crow take off their masks.

“Flirting.”

Kakashi gives that statement the look it deserves. 

Shisui laughs.

“I seriously can’t believe this,” Shisui says like he just got the best gift ever. “ _You_ are _flirting_.”

Kakashi curses the Third for doing this to him.

“You’re supposed to be getting me up to speed,” he says, calm and unimpressed.

“In a minute,” Shisui says like they have all the time in the world. “We’re talking about this first. How did this even start?”

“How are the Inuzuka doing?” Kakashi counters. He has no intention of going along with this.

Shisui raises a brow that says _sound like you don’t need to be brought up to speed after all_ , but otherwise cheerfully ignores the warning.

“Been going on at least a month, right? Naruto is too attached for anything less.”

Kakashi doesn’t allow Shisui to see anything beyond vague annoyance. He also counts down. Twenty-five minutes and fourteen seconds to go.

“Also, a stray cat? Do you have any idea of how hilarious that is?”

Twenty-five minutes and six seconds.

“Though in a weird way, it fits. Aside from the dinner thing. Is that why you did it? Free meals? You cheapskate.”

Twenty-four minutes and fifty-four seconds.

Shisui lifts his hands with false surrender.

“Okay, I’ll be serious. Was it because you were bored? It’s because you were bored, wasn’t it?”

Kakashi allows himself to sigh. Shisui won’t give up until he’s gotten something useful. Giving him this is the best option available. Will inspire sympathy, and thus, make Shisui drop the topic faster.

As intended, Shisui perks up at the sign that he’s about to get what he’s after. Kakashi allows Shisui to see just how done he is with this assignment.

“So bored.”

Shisui grins, ever so pleased. More importantly, there’s real sympathy as well.

“Yeah. This was a nice break, but wow, I’m so glad I'm not on this case.”

“How have you been sleeping?” Kakashi asks, mild and casual. Shisui chuckles, but the aborted move to shift his balance reveals that his lower back is not happy with him.

“I’ve had worse.”

Kakashi lets out an acknowledging hum before reminding Shisui of their original purpose. Sure, the Third shoved them together because of a misguided desire for Kakashi to play nice, but the actual command was for Shisui to bring him up to speed.

Shisui brings him up to speed. Verbally for the most part, but sensitive information is passed on through hand signals. Kakashi allows his surprise to be visible when Shisui shares the incident at ANBU Headquarters. Now that’s a big thing indeed. Explains why he’s seen Inoichi at the Tower so often.

He asks a few questions, but for the most part, Shisui’s report is solid. Not great, but solid. Makes some of the things he’s seen slot into place. Proper context is everything.

Shisui finishes with six minutes to spare.

“And that’s it. Though I might have missed some things, you know this isn’t really my thing.”

True. Shisui is both busy with ANBU and focused mostly on his clan. Other news has a tendency to slip by him. Still, this gave Kakashi a good base to work from. 

To show his appreciation, he offers Shisui some intel of his own.

"You missed the alliance between the Moshi and the Ryuka."

Shisui did not expect that at all. It's nice to see.

"What alliance?"

Kakashi explains the friendliness he's observed among the two clans, and links it back to Shisui's report on what happened in Waterfall. Neither Moshi nor Ryuka forces were involved in that mission, but the mudslide techniques used by the Iwa team pose a serious risk to the Moshi's clan techniques. They need solid earth to work. Which is why they’re approaching the Ryuka, who’s talent with heat would come very handy indeed. The Ryuka are probably going along with it in order to increase their numbers. The last decade has been hard on them.

Shisui shakes his head with incredulity.

"I'll never understand how you and Itachi do that."

Kakashi will never be able to understand how people can miss these kinds of things. They're so obvious.

Shisui grins in a way that means he's about to start annoying him again.

"You know, I really shouldn't have been surprised that you like her. She's exactly your type."

"I don't have a type," Kakashi says, more resigned than anything else. Four minutes and thirteen seconds to go.

"She's witty and easy to rile up. You like people who are witty and easy to rile up."

He does not like people who are witty and easy to rile up. Not in the way Shisui is implying.

"Though I guess you're right, you don't really have a type. Because you don't flirt. Except now you do."

Three minutes and fifty-five seconds.

"See, the stoic act would work if I didn't have definitive proof that you're flirting. I do."

Shisui pauses in a way that means he's hoping for a reaction. Kakashi refuses to give it to him. 

As expected, Shisui takes the lack of reaction as a challenge. Talking with Shisui is always a balancing act. Can't give up too much too soon, that would encourage Shisui to seek him out more. Can't refuse all reaction either, that would accomplish the same. Shisui thrives on social challenges. Give him someone indifferent to him and he'll keep going until he's gotten under their skin. As evidenced by his current behavior.

"You're talking to her. That's my proof. You are conversing with someone of your own volition. _You_ are the one who made the first move. You're flirting."

"The next time we spar, I won't go easy on you," Kakashi says, mild and casual.

"Is that a promise," Shisui says like he's responding to a pick-up line. Kakashi doesn't react. Shisui grins.

"Look me up when you have the time," Shisui says, finally deciding to be nice. "I'll see if I can fit you into my busy schedule."

"I'm honored," Kakashi says flatly. But he won't deny that he's looking forward to sparring with Shisui. Shisui is one of the few - not afraid of him - who can keep up with him. Kakashi still wins, but he has to work for it.

When the time arrives, Kakashi puts on Wolf's mask. Wolf flickers away. Wolf arrives at his post.

Subject is watching the jinchuuriki with affection and humor. Jinchuuriki has his face pressed against the window. Jinchuuriki is searching for Wolf.

“Are you sure the cat is back, nee-chan?”

“I’m sure.”

“But you didn't see him!”

“Stray cats are exceptionally sneaky.”

“What’s exceptionally mean?”

“It means something is much more than usual.”

“So he’s _super_ sneaky?”

“Super, super sneaky.”

“That’s awesome! The cat is so cool.”

Subject grins. Kakashi is - uncomfortable - exasperated. While referring to him as a stray cat is a good way to keep Naruto from revealing what’s going on, it has the unpleasant side-effect of Naruto thinking of him as a pet, and thus, as part of the household. He’s going to be hurt as well when this surveillance ends.

He’ll get over it. A lot sooner than Mariko will in fact.

Wolf orders Pakkun to report. Pakkun obeys. Kakashi thoroughly pets Pakkun for a job well done before dispelling him. Wolf observes.

Kakashi shakes off his lingering annoyance. They aren’t flirting and Shisui’s insistence otherwise is just him being an asshole. And that’s all the thought he’s going to spare on this. The release from the retrieval mission won’t last, but Kakashi is going to keep it going for as long as possible. 

He knows just how to do that.

_How is your story coming along?_

Subject goes on high alert. Kakashi is pleased.

**_Don’t you dare._ **

It’s so tempting to call her bluff. But no. A gentle jab is all he’ll allow himself for now. 

He’ll allow himself a little more when boredom starts getting to him again.

* * *

Subject is working. Wolf observes. 

Kakashi is more resigned than anything else when Shisui enters the tea house.

Subject spots Uchiha Shisui. Subject is pleased. Uchiha Shisui sits down at his usual place at the counter. Subject approaches him.

“Here I thought you’d forgotten all about little old me.”

“Such low opinion you have of me, Mari-chan.”

“Let me make it up to you with some peach sencha.”

“You know me so well.”

Subject prepares the order. Uchiha Shisui responds with exaggerated appreciation. 

“No one makes peach sencha like you.”

“Flatterer. So, how is Itachi?”

“Good. And busy, but what else is new?”

Subject purposely ignores the underlying horror that question inspires. As usual, Uchiha Shisui is comforted by the sight. As usual, Subject is unaware of the response she inspired. 

Uchiha Shisui continues the conversation.

“So he could really use something to unwind. Like, say, a new story?”

“It should be out next month.”

“Great. Is it romance? You know how Itachi is.” 

_A total romantic._

Subject grins. Subject agrees with the unspoken message and finds great humor in it.

“Romance isn’t the main focus. Family is. But yes, there’s a romantic subplot.”

“Couldn’t resist adding it?”

_Because you’re flirting with Kakashi?_

Shisui is such an asshole.

Subject is unaware of the underlying message. The other customers appear unaware as well. Wolf is alert for any sign otherwise.

“The story called for it.”

“Of course it did.”

_Because you and Kakashi are flirting._

Subject continues chatting with one of her favorite customers. Uchiha Shisui continues to slip messages to Wolf without drawing notice. 

Such an asshole. At least Shisui isn’t taking it too far. And he won’t arouse suspicion by suddenly coming by more often either. For all his carefree attitude, Shisui is well aware of the underlying resentment many hold towards his clan. It’s one of the reasons he and Itachi started frequenting this civilian run tea house in the first place. Showing that the Uchiha are a part of this village even when off duty.

The main reason they started frequenting this place is because Itachi is a fan of Mariko’s novels. And when he decided to meet her in person, she treated him like a random smart and cute kid. The uncommon response made Itachi decide to keep coming. And where Itachi goes, Shisui follows.

Kakashi is not looking forward to repeating this whole thing with Itachi. Itachi isn’t an asshole but he can be such a brat. Worse, he’s a romantic. Normally Kakashi would be confident that Itachi wouldn’t encourage Shisui’s behavior, though he wouldn’t discourage it either, but now? Itachi is going to be just as bad. Which is just insulting, really. 

They aren’t flirting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present, Uchiha Shisui, stealing show and hearts wherever he goes. Also, writing Kakashi on a mission is chilling.


	6. The Beginning - Part 4

Wolf observes.

“And then Ino said she wanted to know where I get my clothes but I didn’t tell her because she was being mean, and she yelled really high and hit me! She’s so mean!”

“And of course it didn’t have anything to do with you being rude.”

“I wasn’t being rude!”

“What exactly did you say to her?”

Jinchuuriki refuses to reveal what exactly he said to Yamanaka Ino. Jinchuuriki is aware his words did not invite hospitality. 

Subject nods with satisfaction.

She remains oblivious as to what inspired this interaction in the first place. Even for a civilian, this is ridiculous. It’s her second day of missing it. 

He genuinely needs to know how long she'll take to spot this. Worst case scenario, she’ll require another day. It literally can’t take longer. If it does, Wolf will have to reassess a great many things.

Subject verbally expresses her satisfaction.

“That’s what I thought.”

“But she was being mean!”

“When people don't want to talk to you, they’re not always being mean. Sometimes they just don’t feel like paying attention to you. You forcing them to anyway, that’s being mean.”

Jinchuuriki is annoyed. Subject is unmoved. While she remains weak to Naruto’s pleading, she’s long since learned to handle his distaste at being taught basic manners.

“Besides, if she’s so mean, then why did you decide to talk to her in the first place?”

Now they’re getting somewhere.

Jinchuuriki blushes with exceptional strength. Subject correctly deduces the cause for the uncharacteristic response. About time. Though she’s still thinking of the wrong person involved.

Minato’s son brings up his hand to rub the back of his head, but he’s so flustered he fails to complete the gesture. Instead he crosses his arms and looks anywhere but her. It’s - familiar - cute.

She thinks so too. She’s also waiting for his answer with bated breath.

When she gets it, she's going to burst out laughing.

“...Sakura-chan likes her.”

She bursts out laughing. It earns her a furious glare but that just makes her laugh harder. When Naruto prepares to yell, she quickly covers his mouth with her hand, still laughing like crazy. She knows she’ll lose it even worse if he says just one more word. Naruto wouldn’t appreciate that in the slightest.

Kushina's son takes revenge by squashing her hand even closer and licking it with vigor. She ignores it with the ease of long familiarity.

It takes her several moments before she manages to get her laughter under control. She takes calming breaths.

She fails to wipe the grin off her face.

“Well.”

She’s struggling so hard to keep her voice steady.

“If _Sakura-chan_ likes her, you better make sure Ino likes you as well. If you don’t, _Sakura-chan_ will never like you either."

Jinchuuriki examines the subject to determine whether or not she’s making fun of him. Subject removes her hand from his mouth and attempts to project sincerity. She succeeds. Her hilarity is very sincere indeed.

Jinchuuriki concludes that the subject is making fun of him. It’s kind of fascinating to contrast all that Minato’s son gets wrong against all he gets right.

As always, Naruto’s rising hurt makes her turn comforting. She makes a move to caress his cheek before remembering the saliva coating it. She uses her other hand instead.

“Brat, I promise I’m not making fun of you. I think it’s adorable that you like _Sakura-chan_.”

While she fails to keep her humor under control, she succeeds in soothing Naruto’s hurt. He takes hold of her clean hand and gives her a hopeful look. Expecting her to confirm what he's about to ask.

“And being adorable is a good thing, right?”

“Right.”

Jinchuuriki smiles with exceptional joy. Subject has the expected physical response. She’ll always remain weak to his smile. She also wants to hug him but can't because of her drool covered hand.

She gets off the couch to go clean her hand. Naruto follows.

“So what do you like about her?”

Jinchuuriki lets out a deep sigh and loses a significant amount of spatial awareness. He’s literally swooning just from thinking about his crush. Minato’s son - acts just like him - has got it bad. As he has since yesterday. Weird to - be reminded of - see just how fast your opinion on - Father - someone can change at this age.

Naruto embraces her legs. She washes her hands while keeping her eyes aimed at the to her irresistibly adorable sight. 

Minato's son closes his eyes and speaks at a for him exceptionally low volume. The power of a first crush is great indeed.

“She’s so pretty.”

Subject struggles against the urge to laugh. She’s all but glowing with delight.

Naruto is oblivious to all of this. Lost in recollection of his crush.

“Her smile is pretty, and so is her hair, and when she blushes she gets pink like her hair but not and it’s _super_ pretty. And she’s so smart! She can answer Iruka-sensei _every time_.”

She’s grinning like she just got the greatest gift there is. She strokes Naruto’s hair and guides him back to the couch so they can cuddle. She also encourages him to keep making her day.

“She sounds amazing.”

“She is! So amazing. The most amazing ever.”

She listens with delight as Naruto rambles on about his crush. It’s ironic to see her act like being infatuated is a matter of great importance indeed. Normally she treats it no different than other potential sources of amusement. 

But then, normally the one crushing isn’t her brat. Everything Naruto does gets a special place in her heart. And when he does something that touches her more than usual, she feels the need to share.

**_The brat has a crush!_ **

_The civilian has noticed the obvious!_

**_Nothing you say can ruin this for me._ **

While part of him is tempted to prove her wrong, most of him is glad to see her happy like this.

She’s happy because of Minato’s son. Because she loves him more than any other. Because no matter her distaste to admitting it, she considers him to be her child.

She’s the mother Kushina never got to be. The parent Sensei never got to be. She'll experience all the firsts they never will.

She'll make those firsts special to Naruto.

Minato’s son is in good hands. This assignment might be boring, but it’s worth it to have Naruto taken care of like this. 

Kakashi will still be so glad when he can - stop remembering - get out of here.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Subject is within auditory range. Jinchuuriki is within auditory range. Seven stationary forces are within observation range. A fluctuating number of moving forces are within the same range. Wolf examines the flow of traffic. Wolf is alert for suspicious behavior. Wolf observes.

“No.”

“Please? For me?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“No.”

Nakamura Rukia chuckles. Briefly losing control over her humor. Subject does not share the same loss of control. Wolf predicts this will change after Tanaka Shiro has been made to change his mind.

Jinchuuriki continues pleading with Tanaka Shiro. 

“Pleeease? I _promise_ I’ll pay for it. You can have _all_ my pocket money for an entire _year_.”

“No.”

Tanaka Shiro’s refusal is less firm than before. Wolf predicts the subject is about to verbally support the jinchuuriki. Her support will cause Tanaka Shiro to agree to the jinchuuriki’s request.

Wolf’s prediction comes true.

“Her eyes are even more brilliant than Tori’s.”

Subject’s voice is deliberately casual. Subject requires more effort to keep it that way when continuing to speak. Wolf concludes that Tanaka Shiro is looking at the subject with accusation.

“I hadn’t thought such flawless green could exist.”

Nakamura Rukia’s struggle to control her humor grows. Wolf concludes Tanaka Shiro’s accusation grew more visible. Wolf predicts that Nakamura Rukia will allow herself to laugh after Tanaka Shiro has agreed to the jinchuuriki’s request and the jinchuuriki starts expressing gratitude.

Subject continues to persuade Tanaka Shiro by appealing to his love of striking colors.

“Not to mention her hair is the exact shade of cherry blossoms in bloom.”

The length of the silence that follows indicates that Tanaka Shiro has been persuaded. Tanaka Shiro verbally confirms this fact.

“...Fine.”

Tanaka Shiro continues speaking in a manner that indicates he’s looking at the jinchuuriki with warning.

“One kimono, her parents need to pay, and I won’t give her a discount.”

Jinchuuriki yells with joy. Jinchuuriki embraces Tanaka Shiro.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Nakamura Rukia allows herself to laugh. Subject allows herself the same. Wolf observes.

Kakashi is so bored. This might have been entertaining if he didn’t have to witness it day in day out, but he does and so it’s boring. Some days that's easier to deal with than others, but today is not one of those days.

He reaches for every source of stimulation he can.

_A courting gift already? He moves fast._

**_He has the courage to go after what he wants._ **

_And what’s that supposed to mean?_

**_It means I’m damn proud of him. What else?_ **

Kakashi startles. What else indeed? 

What exactly did he mean with that question? It’s... not something he gave any real thought. Oh, he was planning to rile her up, but he was planning to do so after prepping her with normal banter. And he let that banter flow without thought.

Without thought, he was affected by what she said. He was projecting.

Minato’s son has the courage to go after what he wants. Kakashi doesn’t. Not anymore.

But then, there’s nothing left for him to - be allowed to - want either. So really, it makes no sense for this to hit so close home.

He’s gotten too comfortable. The knowledge isn’t anything new, but right now it’s hitting him full force. He’s gotten too comfortable with Takahashi Mariko.

Wolf agrees. Not new either, Wolf has been feeling that way ever since the would be booty call. But for the first time, Kakashi feels the same.

Kakashi responds so she won’t notice anything unusual is going on. He also keeps control over his sudden - fear - discomfort. He can consider this in more depth later tonight.

Wolf observes.

_I don’t know. That felt like an accusation to me._

Subject is amused. She sees nothing unusual about the reply. Good.

**_Not my fault your ego is so fragile._ **

_Now where did you get that idea from?_

From the onigiri. Which is why he asked. Playing on her sense of victory will steer her even further away from the notion that something unusual might be going on.

**_From sweet revenge._ **

_Has anyone ever told you that you’re rather vindictive?_

**_It’s a great way to stop someone from being a bastard._ **

Kakashi keeps her from suspecting anything out of the ordinary is going on for the rest of the day. He eats the dinner she put aside for him for the same reason. For the first time, it’s uncomfortable to do so. He's far too aware of the amount of skin he's baring the entire time.

Wolf summons Uhei to keep watch. Wolf goes to the residence and confirms that it hasn't been tampered with. Wolf takes off his mask.

Kakashi rubs his eye, annoyed at his own reaction. It’s normal to have gotten too comfortable, no one can remain perfectly vigilant when constantly faced with the same surroundings. Hell, it’s one of the reasons it was a good idea to incorporate conversation with her. The variety helped slow down the process.

Except he’s gotten used to talking with her as well. He’s reached the point where personal and professional are blending together even with his exceptional skill at compartmentalizing. 

He’s starting to reach out on too personal a level. While he can try to keep it to a minimum, he won’t be able to eliminate it completely. He needs another break from this assignment in order to accomplish that.

He needs this assignment to be over, period. Honestly, the Third is dragging this out way too long. Yes, they had to make sure Mariko really is who she seems to be, yes, they had to keep her safe from outside interference until she and Naruto settled into their new roles as guardian and ward. But both those things have long since been accomplished. There’s no reason to keep them under permanent watch. Regular check ups are all that’s needed. 

He’s going to bring this up next time he reports. Wolf might not be able to go against the Third’s wishes, but he can present facts. And these are facts, plain and simple.

Kakashi ignores the part of him that points out why the Third is dragging this out for so long. While the Third is a great leader, he also has... certain blindspots. This is one of them.

Feeling so much better, Kakashi starts doing light training. Him bringing up the issue with the Third means this is going to last for another month at worst. At best, it’ll last another six days. 

Most likely, it’ll last another fifteen. The Third has a sentimental streak. He’ll make the new year’s festival the final day of duty. It’ll grant the Third the illusion that Kakashi is - something more than a weapon - socialising instead of working. 

As long as it gets him out of this assignment, Kakashi doesn’t mind that even a little.

* * *

Hokage-sama considers the facts presented by Wolf. Hokage-sama does not wish to end the mission.

Hokage-sama knows the mission serves no purpose anymore. Wolf's skills are being wasted.

Hokage-sama allows Wolf to see the guilt and regret Wolf’s presence always inspires. Wolf doesn’t allow Kakashi to feel - anger - joy over the confirmation that Hokage-sama is about to terminate the mission. Wolf is professional.

“...Very well. Your watch will end at 0800 after the new year’s festival. You will give a final report after.”

“By your command, Hokage-sama.”

“Dismissed.”

Wolf flickers away.

Kakashi is so happy. At last, he’ll have his life back. 

At last, he’ll stop being bored.

* * *

Wolf observes. Kakashi is amused. She really is shameless. Also unaware of the show she put on, but honestly, it wouldn’t have changed much if she’d realised the curtains were still open when she started dressing.

He waits until the patrol has left the area, before he casts a minor illusion, slips inside, grabs pen and paper, and leaves both on the dresser that holds the mirror she’s admiring herself in. He slips outside and dispels the illusion. 

She startles a little as the note and pen seem to materialise out of nowhere, but for the most part, she’s amused. Because she’s realised that the curtains are still open. 

Shameless. And discreet. She showed no sign of wanting to look at the curtains.

_Nice kimono._

She grins before she actually looks out the window and spins around for his benefit. The festival has put her in a great mood.

**_Isn’t it? You have to admit, it does amazing things to my figure._ **

She writes it down while shimmying her hips. Kakashi will admit, she looks very nice indeed. Not his type, but she still forms a pretty picture.

_That it does._

She chuckles.

**_Flatterer._ **

Kakashi debates with himself. But this is the last time he’ll be able to talk to her like this.

_I’m curious, you have so many of them, but this is the first time I’ve seen you wear one. Any particular reason for that?_

He knows why, really. He just wants her to - know - confirm his conclusion. And Wolf wants a final examination of the only area of caution left.

This question gives him both. Her body language becomes decidedly not inviting. There's no trace of hostility, though. No trace of true fear either. He has officially achieved the goal of being able to interrogate her without her feeling threatened. 

Kakashi reads along as she writes. Wolf observes.

**_Shiro keeps making me new ones but hates seeing me wear them. I respect that._ **

So, it’s as he thought. She and her former betrothed share a complex relationship, one which carries deep scars caused by the Kyuubi attack. But they’ve both managed to grow past their issues. In no small part because they have complementary coping mechanisms, and respect for the needs that don't fit well with their own.

Wolf examines the subject intently. Subject’s response to her life before the Kyuubi attack is still a source of caution. Subject is aware this part of her past has been examined in detail, but subject still shows significant fear at the notion of discovery. It’s the only suspicious behavior the subject shows. What discovery does the subject fear?

She fears being confronted with her past. Her chakra system was mutilated to the point where it led to a psychotic breakdown. It would be more suspicious if she was rational about this.

Wolf agrees with this assessment. Wolf nonetheless remains cautious. What a surprise.

Kakashi watches as she deflects attention away from her past by changing the topic. As is so often the case, she does it without conscious consideration. She’s got good instincts.

**_Still, the new year celebrations are one of the few occasions worth it to dress up for. How about you? Any plans?_ **

Aside from working?

_Not really._

Him following the change in topic makes her relax. She shakes her head, not surprised by the answer but still a little incredulous. 

**_That’s just sad._ **

No, what’s sad is that he’s been stuck following her around for _months_. Can’t very well tell her that, though. Instead he shows her his appreciation for making this whole thing just a little more bearable.

_Sad enough to get some of those new year treats?_

As intended, wry affection rises. It isn’t the most comforting thing to see, but again, this is the last day. He can - let her know - put in an effort. 

She responds like both of them aren’t perfectly aware she’s already put aside treats for him. Ones that are neither sweet nor fried.

**_We’ll see._ **

She leaves her room to go check up on Naruto. Minato's son was determined to dress himself, but the odds of him succeeding are low indeed. 

Wolf observes. Fifteen minutes before the estimated arrival of Tanaka Shiro and Ito Tori, Kakashi takes a final break. He summons Pakkun and Bull.

“Last time, right?”

“Last time,” Kakashi confirms. He’ll remain on watch himself until it’s time to report.

Pakkun and Bull are so relieved.

Pakkun hops onto his head and settles down to keep watch, while Bull takes care of the blindspots by covering his back. Kakashi shifts around a little so he and his summons are at their most comfortable, before he closes his eye. He isn’t planning to sleep, but the festival will be crowded. He needs to be at his best. Meaning he needs to take a break now.

His thoughts wander to Mariko. Not a surprise. This is the last time he’ll see her like this. He’ll still check up on her and Naruto between missions of course, but it won’t be the same. 

This is his way of saying goodbye to the woman who gave Minato’s son a home. The civilian that ignored all social stigma in order to make him happy.

It’s funny, there’s nothing particularly special about her. Oh, the breakdown she suffered was worse than most, but she wasn’t the only civilian by far that was left broken by the Kyuubi attack. There’s nothing about her that really stands out.

Takahashi Mariko, born to the civilians Takahashi Daisuke and Okada Rumiko. Twenty-five years old. Witty, hedonistic, easily annoyed on a superficial level, and patient on a far more fundamental level. Strong enough to rebuild herself after having her memories torn apart by hallucinations, selfish enough to feel no regret over cutting all ties to her former life aside from her father and her former betrothed. Then, two years after her breakdown, her father followed in her mother’s footsteps and died as well.

She didn’t allow herself to break again. She kept going. He didn’t see that of course, this was long before she met Naruto. But it was easy to deduce from her behavior. She refused to fall down the same pit twice, and she was strong enough to make good on that determination. He - envies - admires that.

He knows just how difficult it is to keep yourself from breaking. Knows it gets more difficult every time.

When her friends arrive, his mind wanders to them as well. Tanaka Shiro, Mariko’s former betrothed and current friend. Vain, proud, nosy and loyal. Still scarred by Mariko turning into a stranger, still longing for how things used to be. Aware that this will never happen and at peace with it. The way he loves Mariko now is different from before. As showcased by how he compliments her kimono clad appearance. There’s underlying grief but no real attraction. 

Both Mariko and Shiro carry the threat of tension with minimal effort. The threat disappears in full when Tori gushes over how adorable Naruto looks. As always, her enthusiasm is enjoyed by the others. 

Ito Tori is the reason this group of friends formed. She’s optimistic, energetic, compassionate and kind. She reaches out when she sees those in need. Like offering a lost stranger and a broken one a job at her tea house. Neither Mariko nor Renji ever left.

Renji and Rukia might not show up today. Nakamura Renji was broken by the Kyuubi attack as well, though in a different way. He lost his wife and unborn child.

He can’t look at Naruto without being reminded of that loss. But Renji is more mature than most. He’s never aimed even a single insult at Naruto, and he hasn’t allowed Mariko’s adoption of ‘the demon brat’ to destroy their friendship either. Wouldn’t have worked if Mariko wasn’t working just as hard to keep their friendship intact, but still. It’s impressive.

Renji and his sister will probably show up for a little while. They said they wouldn’t, aware that Naruto’s presence would hit Renji far harder today than on others. But Kakashi predicts they’ll change their mind. It won’t feel like a true festival unless they see their best friends.

Nakamura Rukia joined this group because of her brother and stayed because of Shiro and Tori. Shiro is her ideal partner when it comes to taste in fashion. Not just appreciating the final result, they work exceptionally well together when creating outfits. Which is why it didn’t take long for them to open a shop. As an added bonus, both of them are nosy. They exchange a lot of gossip when working.

Rukia exchanges a lot of gossip with Tori as well, though of a different kind. The two of them adore chatting over tea. It’s a beloved part of their routine. As for Mariko, Rukia enjoys the challenge she presents. For a civilian, it isn’t easy to get information out of her.

Most of all, Rukia appreciates what a good friend Mariko is to her brother. As Rukia is closest to Shiro and Tori, Mariko is closest to Shiro and Renji. Not that this is saying much. All five are close. They’ve formed a tight knit group and won’t break apart without significant cause.

They’re a sensible bunch. They handle problems in a mature manner. It’s one of the reasons he could start conversing with Mariko in the first place. Sure, he tried to keep her from sharing with her friends, but he knew from the beginning that would be unobtainable in the long run. His prediction came true after he got back from his break. Her friends interrogated her and managed to drag out that they’re exchanging notes on a fairly regular basis. Mariko managed to keep the length and frequency of their conversations hidden, but just having her exchange a simple hello with an Anbu would have been enough to make her friends freak out. Fortunately, the freak out remained harmless because Mariko acted like there was nothing unusual about this whole thing. Her lack of fear made her friends focus on the humor of the situation, instead of the implied threat. They also immediately realised that talking about this in public would _not_ be a good idea.

Kakashi still told Mariko to remind them not to talk about this in private either. Talking about ANBU gets you the wrong kind of attention, and civilians can never be certain someone isn’t observing them. Ninja don’t go out of their way to do that of course, but it would only take one person performing a check of their surroundings to stumble on the discussion. It was more a precaution than anything else, though. Again, they’re a sensible bunch. They avoid red flag terms with more ease than most. 

They still needed a safe space to discuss this among themselves. As usual, that became Tori’s home. Kakashi debated on whether or not to add some silencing seals, but the truth is that would draw far more attention than them occasionally worrying about ‘Mari’s correspondent’.

...Maybe he should let her know he’s leaving? More obviously than he’s - comfortable with - planning to, that is. If she knows, the ranting to her friends will be lessened greatly, meaning her friends will have a calmer response as well. Kakashi might have accepted that some people will have figured this whole thing out, but he’d still like to keep the spread of knowledge to a minimum.

If he tells her, she’s going to be hurt. And she’ll get angry with him for dropping this on her this late. It’ll ruin her festival spirits. That would just be plain ungrateful after all the entertainment she’s provided.

Kakashi shakes off his musings when she and the others leave for the festival. He pets Pakkun and Bull while she and the others go down the stairs, and dispels them right before they exit the building. Wolf follows. Wolf observes.

Wolf will finish this assignment in an exemplary manner.

* * *

Eighteen are paying the jinchuuriki significant attention. Twelve are paying the subject the same attention. Two civilians show signs of potential aggression. Wolf predicts the threat will not be realised. Wolf observes.

“Fire dances next?”

“I’d like to see the Inuzuka first. I want to pet the cuties.”

Subject is amused by Ito Tori declaring the Inuzuka’s war hounds to be ‘cuties’. Jinchuuriki is surprised.

“But we’re not supposed to pet them! Kiba said so!”

“Normally that’s true, but this is a special occasion. Today, we can pet them. But only in the approved area. They’re still off limits outside of that.”

“Really? Let’s go, nee-chan! I want to pet them too!”

Jinchuuriki pulls at the subject’s hand. Subject guides him to the Inuzuka with a smile. Wolf observes.

When Kakashi spots an opening, he drops down in a festival stall, grabs a cheap charm and leaves payment for it in the bowl set aside for those who don’t feel like being visible. Wolf observes. Wolf takes note of all suspicious behavior. Wolf eliminates that which is harmless and that which isn’t. 

Festival passes without incident. Subject and jinchuuriki bid farewell to the subject’s friends. Subject and jinchuuriki return to their residence. Subject feels no fear over walking the streets because she knows Wolf is present. Wolf observes.

Kakashi allows himself to relax a little when they get home. When she starts putting Naruto to bed, he slips inside and seals away the treats she made. He’ll enjoy them with his summons later.

He writes to her for the last time. 

_Thank you._

For taking in Minato’s son. For giving him a home. For making him happy.

She won’t realise this is a goodbye for another two days. The expression of gratitude will be attributed to him being affected by the holiday. It will make her enjoy the day even more.

He slips outside. Wolf observes.

Naruto finishes falling asleep. She strokes his hair for a final time before leaving his room. 

She yawns. She’s about to head to bed herself. But first she wants to bid him goodnight. 

She looks at the box of treats she left on the coffee table. When she sees that it’s empty, her smile grows. She goes over and reads the note.

She chuckles. Attributing the uncharacteristic behavior to the date as expected.

**_Happy New Year._ **

He delivers his response together with the good luck charm he got her. It’s... perhaps not the best thing to do, this will leave her a permanent reminder of his presence. But it will also help her realise that this is him saying goodbye. Without it, part of her would always worry he fell silent because something had happened to him. 

_Happy New Year._

Despite the charm being cheap and generic, she’s incredibly touched by the gift. He knew that would happen, but it’s still - worrying - discomforting to see. Just like he’s gotten too comfortable with her, she’s gotten too comfortable with him. Not her fault of course, he designed their interaction to achieve exactly that.

Doesn’t make it pleasant to witness. She - cares for him - considers him to be a friend. Not on the same level as Shiro and the others, but not that far off from it either. That’s - dangerous - not something he enjoys. 

It’s a good thing this assignment is finally over. He’ll get his life back, and she’ll stop thinking of him as a friend. The process will be sped up by her anger at him taking off without a proper goodbye.

He watches as she goes into her room and hangs up the charm next to the window. She closes the curtains. The loss of sight makes him feel better. This assignment is truly over. Sure, officially it won’t end for another six hours and forty-eight minutes, but emotionally, it’s done. 

It allows him to admit that he’s going to miss her. Or rather, he’s going to miss their banter. He’ll still see her and Naruto between missions after all. But he won’t talk to her again. From now on, things between them will be strictly professional. 

Wolf observes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present, Kakashi being more of a bastard than ever. This is not how you say goodbye to a friend, Kakashi.


	7. The Beginning - Part 5

Subject wakes up and sits upright without conscious thought. A response to the intensity of her feelings. Subject drops back down her bed with a groan. Agitated by the content of her dream.

Subject attempts to go back to sleep. Kakashi is surprised. This is new. She’s had erotic dreams before, and after waking, she always picked up right where the dream left off. Not this time. Because in addition to being hot and bothered, whatever she dreamed about left her incredibly annoyed. What could cause that? 

Several things. But combined with her not looking for a release, the most likely cause is...

No. She wouldn’t. That would be ridiculous. 

Dreams are illogical by nature. It’s possible.

Wolf checks the surroundings before Kakashi moves towards her windowsill. Any other day he would have waited until morning to confirm or disprove his suspicions, but that time is over. 

He enhances his sense of smell and inhales deeply. The wards on her home prevent scents from escaping, but he’s keyed into them. This near, he can pick up on everything he needs.

She’s embarrassed.

She dreamed about him. Even having expected it, Kakashi is - worried - incredulous. This makes no sense whatsoever.

No, there are still other possibilities. Maybe her dream involved - not her past, not her friends, not anything she finds morally wrong - her stories. Or maybe it involved, no, that would inspire a different kind of embarrassment. Nonetheless, her dream might not have involved him. The odds are low, but they’re real.

Wolf returns to his post. Kakashi rapidly considers how to handle this. No matter what, he needs definitive proof of his suspicion. What he does after that will depend on what he finds.

...Maybe one last note? 

Wolf disapproves. 

Wolf has no say in this anymore. If Kakashi does this, he’ll come back off duty for her response. The Third won’t allow him to take on a new mission right away, he’ll be ordered to take the day off first. Like he needs that after being stuck here for months.

Wolf does have a say in this. They are still on duty. There is no benefit to contacting the subject again. There are only disadvantages.

There are several advantages. For one, he needs to know. If she really did dream about him, it could mean she somehow developed a crush on him without his notice. He’s gotten too comfortable after all. He could have missed this. Possibly. Maybe. In theory.

Seriously, he could not have missed this. How could this even happen? He, as she so accurately puts it, is a bastard. Yes, he designed their interaction to put her at ease, but he also created the expectation that he would rile her up just because he can. He annoys her on purpose. What about that is attractive?

...She enjoys arguing with people. A fifth of all conversation with her friends involves them taking shots at each other. 

She flirts by exchanging barbs. And he’s conditioned her to expect satisfaction after being annoyed by him. Damn it.

Wolf points out he can gather proof without contacting the subject.

Kakashi remains undecided. Wolf is right, he shouldn’t do this. He can just pass by her home after she wakes. It’ll give him all the information he needs. Also wouldn’t require him to piece together another subtle goodbye. And really, if she did somehow develop a crush on him, she did it with perfect timing. Any infatuation will vanish when she realises he took off without a word. But maybe...

Maybe he wants to give her a true goodbye. Well no, he doesn’t, this was more than enough for him. But it wasn’t for her. Ignoring the potential hormones involved, if he takes off like this, she’s going to be hurt. Before, that argument wasn’t enough to sway him. But now that he’s gained closure himself, he can admit that it would be cruel to leave like this. And really, even if his suspicion is true, giving her a goodbye won’t change anything. He’ll still be gone and she’ll still get over her manufactured affection. It’ll just take a little longer for it to happen.

Telling the subject she’s no longer being held under surveillance will cause others to deduce their absence from her behavior. 

They’ll deduce the same five days from now at the latest. That’s how long she’ll need to be certain that he’s taken off. It’ll take a while longer for her to accept it, but she’ll know. And really, this has another important advantage. It will keep her from losing trust in the village.

Wolf startles. Wolf agrees with this assessment.

Wolf should have known this. Wolf should have spotted the flaw in Kakashi's original plan.

Wolf should have stopped him.

He should have. He really should have. It’s the most damning proof there is that - he’s gotten too close - this assignment has gone on for too long. 

Wolf agrees. Wolf is ill at ease at just how compromised they've become. So is Kakashi.

Wolf considers. Wolf approves of him encouraging the subject to keep trust in the village. Kakashi slips inside.

_That must have been some dream._

This will be the last time he talks to her. He’s just going to confirm whether he’s right or not, give her a goodbye, and then he’ll be gone.

He’ll finally have his life back. Any thoughts of her will vanish the moment he gets another mission. Getting out of here will make Wolf go back to his usual self as well. Wolf agrees. Wolf is pleased to know they will soon return to normal.

Wolf observes.

* * *

Wolf finishes observing. Wolf flickers away.

Wolf reports to Hokage-sama. Wolf does not withhold any information. Wolf informs Hokage-sama of the additional twelve hours required to ensure the subject suffers no loss of trust in the village. Wolf apologises for the lapse in professionalism.

“It won’t happen again, Hokage-sama.”

Hokage-sama does not allow Wolf to see his thoughts on the matter. Wolf expects a reprimand. 

Hokage-sama offers no reprimand.

“Tell me, Kakashi. What do you think of her?”

Kakashi hesitates. Wolf makes him answer. Hokage-sama must be obeyed.

“She’s a good mother to Naruto.”

Kakashi would have left it there, but Hokage-sama is looking at them in a manner that indicates Hokage-sama did not gain the desired response. Wolf makes Kakashi continue.

“She’s strong willed. She’s loyal to those she loves. She has good instincts. She’s entertaining.”

Hokage-sama stops a tell from forming. Kakashi shuts up at the confirmation that the Third has gotten what he wanted.

Wolf considers. Hokage-sama has gained the desired response, but Hokage-sama also wishes for further information.

He’s given the Third what he wants. Wolf is on his own from here on out.

Wolf waits for orders. Hokage-sama allows them to see disappointment over Kakashi’s refusal to elaborate. 

Hokage-sama does not order Kakashi to elaborate. 

“...Very well. Ensure she loses no faith in the village. Aside from that, you’re free to do as you please for the next seven days.”

Wolf does not allow him to feel - shock, disbelief, anger - anything over Hokage-sama’s command. Wolf is professional.

Wolf does not agree with this command.

“Hokage-sama, with all due respect. I do not require that much rest.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, Wolf.”

Hokage-sama’s warning is firm. Wolf is displeased.

“My skills haven’t deteriorated. I’m ready to take to the field again.”

“Your skills haven’t improved either. You’ve been on guard for four months. You will take this time to clear your head.”

Wolf will obey Hokage-sama, but Wolf remains displeased. Wolf cannot stop him from feeling - betrayed - anger.

Wolf provides another reason for Hokage-sama to reconsider.

“It would be more beneficial for my state of mind to return to the field.”

Hokage-sama is displeased by the argument. Hokage-sama adjusts his command in a manner that reveals it to be final.

“Two weeks.”

Wolf struggles to keep him from - raging - responding to Hokage-sama’s command. Wolf is professional. Wolf accepts that they won’t be able to change Hokage-sama’s mind.

“By your command, Hokage-sama.”

“Dismissed.”

Wolf flickers away.

Kakashi can’t believe what just happened, can’t believe the Third would do this to him, can’t believe he’s going to be stuck in the village for another two weeks!

Wolf halts at the first seemingly unoccupied training field encountered. Thoroughly examines it. Concludes it to be unoccupied in truth.

Kakashi destroys a tree, blasts it apart with lightning because how could the Third do this to him, he’s done _everything_ the Third wanted and this is how the Third repays him? 

Wolf disapproves and that just makes him more furious. Wolf’s entire existence is bound up in loyalty to the village, loyalty to its ruler and this is how the Third rewards that? How dare he. The Third is a selfish, weak willed - Wolf will not allow him to insult Hokage-sama. 

Kakashi yanks off Wolf’s mask, needing to express his fury in full. This is a punishment, plain and simple. This is the Third putting his own feelings before the needs of the village, this is the Third trying to soothe his guilt at what he considers to be a personal failure. 

Wolf is not a failure. Wolf is what allowed him to claw his way back to sanity, Wolf is the reason he manages to get out of bed every day. Wolf is simple and safe and the _only_ reason he hasn't followed his father.

Wolf is a weapon. And the Third is refusing to utilise him as he was made to be, as he needs to be. Because he feels guilty over the broken wreck Kakashi is, because he thinks this will _help_ him. Because he’s deluded himself into thinking that if Kakashi just stops taking every mission he can, it will somehow lead to him being happy.

The Third is no longer the leader he used to be.

Even without the mask, the part of him that is Wolf is a mess of aggravated denial. Wolf can’t admit that the Third is flawed, can’t admit that the Third might not be worth his loyalty. It’s the only blindspot Wolf has.

Kakashi doesn’t share that blindspot. He knows the Third is flawed, and while most of the time he deliberately ignores that, he doesn’t right now. The Third is selfish in a way leaders can’t afford to be. The Third isn’t worth his - Kakashi flickers away, a physical response to the thought he can’t allow himself to have. He will not turn traitor, he will _not_ abandon - Obito, Rin, Sensei - his village, his comrades.

He needs to spar.

Passing by the usual training field, his turmoil grows when he sees it occupied by someone else. Part of him starts considering who to go after if his first choice isn’t available, but he isn’t ready to give up yet. He’s going to the most likely places first, and if that fails, he’s going to check whether or not he’s in the village. Only if he’s away on a mission will he consider other options.

While searching, Kakashi puts on his headband. The suppression seal will keep the drain from Obito’s eye to the minimum.

He finds his first choice in another training field. Kakashi drops out of stealth.

Gai whirls towards him, startled. Kakashi doesn’t allow Gai to process more than his presence before he speaks. He approaches Gai like this for one reason only, and Gai is good at instinctively balancing personal desires against village duty. Gai’s conscious mind might not have caught up to what’s happening yet, but his response will most likely be accurate.

“Let’s spar.”

“Of course!”

Kakashi leaps forward and tries to break Gai’s jaw, making Gai dodge on what is still more instinct than conscious understanding. Muscle memory makes Gai respond with a grappling hold. Kakashi slips through it and tries to kick Gai in the stomach, hands racing through seals at the same time. Gai, wanting some distance between them so he can finish processing the situation, grabs his leg as expected and tries to throw him away.

Kakashi slams his hand down the ground, creating an earth pillar while kicking out with the leg Gai caught. Trying to unbalance Gai to maximize the impact of his attack.

Gai lets go of his leg and jumps, barely in time to avoid bruised ribs. 

Gai is about to realise what is going on. Kakashi speeds up the process by racing through seals again. This time he creates a lightning dragon.

As intended, the freely used A-ranked technique makes understanding dawn on Gai. Good. 

He wants Gai to give it his all.

Gai avoids the lightning with some impressive footwork, and Kakashi allows him to gain the distance he needs. Either Gai will signal that he can't afford to use as much chakra as Kakashi wants, or he's going to go all out.

Gai goes all out. He opens the First and Second Gate, and then he goes on the offensive, obliterating the distance between them so fast that Kakashi needs to use a replacement to avoid getting hit. He attacks Gai from behind, trying to hit shin and kidney, but he isn’t surprised when he’s forced to abort his attack to avoid a Lotus technique. 

He is surprised when he doesn’t manage to avoid it in full. Gai throws him down the earth hard enough to knock the wind out of him, and it takes Kakashi some fast thinking and even faster movements to keep Gai from linking the combo to another. 

He’s gotten better.

Kakashi is forced to use his blade to keep from being overwhelmed, barely able to keep Gai and bay. Even with the addition of the blade, there are a few times where Gai has to pull an attack, while he himself has yet to manage the same.

He could open Obito’s eye. Could use the edge that gives him to force Gai on the defensive. That isn’t what he wants, though.

He wants to rage and fight. Wants to lose himself in battle until there’s no more room for thought.

He uses another A-ranked technique, depletes his reserves without hesitation because he’s going to be stuck here for two more weeks!

Gai meets his ferocity with equal force. It’s exactly what he needs.

Their fight lasts almost half an hour. By the end of it, Kakashi can barely remain standing. 

He keeps going right up until he has to pull an attack to keep from slicing Gai’s jugular. 

Gai laughs. The sound is breathless and unsteady, and the force of it makes Gai sway in place. He’s as exhausted as Kakashi is. Also reeking of - love - lust, something Kakashi is very aware of now that the spar is over. The only reason Gai isn’t hard is because his body literally has no energy left for it.

Gai is - not afraid - delighted. 

“My Rival! This was delightful!”

Kakashi sheathes his blade, wryly amused at how Gai manages to be loud even when desperately gasping for breath. Kakashi’s own breathing is heavy as well, and his limbs feel like overcooked noodles set on fire. He’s a mess of sweat and bruises and exertion.

It’s perfect.

Gai bends down, scented sweat flying everywhere, and momentarily turns his full attention to his breathing. Needing to recover from his laughter.

It doesn’t take longer than a moment before he lifts his head and gives him a blinding grin and enthusiastic thumbs up. Kakashi doesn’t have the energy to hide the - warmth - humor that inspires.

He lies down the ruined earth and closes his eye, focusing on regulating his breathing and the flow of his chakra. He’ll leave soon enough, but first he needs a couple of moments to recover.

He hears Gai lie down beside him. Feels the heat radiating from him. Smells the body odor Gai isn’t even trying to contain. Kakashi isn’t exactly being careful either, but he’s long since perfected the trick of keeping his skin coated in chakra. Sweat still falls off, but it doesn’t smell like him. Really, it would take him conscious effort to be careless to the degree Gai is. How does he do it?

How wonderful to be able to think of that instead of - nope, not going down that route yet.

“You’re getting your scent all over the place,” he says. If he initiates conversation, Gai will continue offering him a distraction.

His prediction comes true. Gai chuckles, mellow as only this kind of spar can cause, and turns his head towards him.

“It is a testament to our youth.”

True. Can’t avoid leaving evidence behind when sparring like this. 

“I’m glad to see you, my Rival,” Gai continues. “It has been some time since last we met.”

It has. Because he’s been stuck with this stupid surveillance for months. And now he’s going to be stuck twirling kunai some more.

“You’ve improved,” he says in an effort to redirect his thoughts. Gai really has improved. That combo he did to demolish the earth spikes was impressive.

“I have met a talented career genin,” Gai says without hesitation. Following the change in topic as always. “She's taught me a great deal. I’m lucky to have met her. Her favorite color is the red of sunset, but sunsets contain a great many shades of red. The sunset yesterday was lovely.”

Kakashi listens as Gai speaks of everything and nothing. It’s soothing. For a while. Then it becomes - dangerous - awkward. He and Gai - can’t be - aren’t friends.

Kakashi decides to leave. To no surprise, Gai falls silent. Kakashi isn’t hiding his intentions after all.

Gai is going to challenge him. He always does after a spar.

“I’m glad to have seen you, my Rival,” Gai says in a voice that confirms that a challenge is coming. “To celebrate, I challenge you!”

Kakashi opens his eye and meets Gai’s gaze. Gai looks like a hopeful puppy. Part of him finds that cute. A larger part of him wants to get out of here. 

He doesn’t give in to it just yet.

“What’s the challenge?” he asks instead. He and Gai aren’t friends, but it would be downright rude not to show his appreciation. Also, if he doesn’t reward Gai for - being there - indulging him like this, Gai might stop sparring with him. Given that Gai is one of the few - not afraid - capable of keeping up with him, that would be a shame.

Gai’s grin is even more - loving - blinding than usual.

“Rock-paper-scissors.”

Kakashi accepts the challenge by lifting his hand. Gai is - dangerously - adorably pleased.

They play rock-paper-scissors. Gai wins by the smallest of margins, waiting until the last possible moment to turn paper into rock. Kakashi fails to switch from scissors to paper in time.

Gai laughs, ever so proud of his victory. He’s in the lead now with seven to six. Kakashi never loses on purpose of course, Gai would be insulted by that. But he won't deny that Gai's - love - joy at besting him at silly games like this is - terrifying - nice to see. 

It's time to go.

Kakashi gets up. Gai quickly follows. Planning to extend an invitation to meet up again.

"Should you happen to be free in the coming days, I would enjoy seeing you again!"

Gai is far too hopeful. Kakashi isn't surprised by the strength of it, him freely using high ranked techniques revealed to Gai that he won't be going on a mission for at least four days. Still, not - safe - fun.

"Not going to happen," he says truthfully. It would be cruel to give Gai false hope.

Gai smiles with a - love - warmth that makes the need to get out of here even stronger.

"If you change your mind, I will be here."

Kakashi flickers away. He doesn't move far, his reserves are so depleted that even a minor body flicker is costly. But it's - necessary - worth it to get away from Gai.

He enters stealth, careful not to waste any chakra, before he makes his way to his place. He's in dire need of a shower.

Standing under the hot water, as calm as the circumstances allow, Kakashi closes his eye and lets himself think about the Third’s actions.

The Third is right, his skills haven’t improved. That isn’t a valid reason to pull him off duty, though.

Him not being clear minded is. Kakashi still disagrees with the Third’s decision, but he can admit that, should any under his command have returned from a mission like this, he wouldn’t have immediately sent them back to the field either. He would order them to clear their head for a minimum of four days.

He wouldn’t extend it to two weeks just because they tried to make him reconsider. That was a - worrying - dick move on the Third’s part.

And that’s as far as Kakashi is going to consider this. The Third made a mistake by extending the duration, but he was right to order him to get his head back in the game. Case closed.

The part of him that is Wolf is deeply relieved.

Kakashi gets out of the shower and checks over his gear. Gai did a fair amount of damage to the arm guards. He’ll have to leave them at the armory. 

He cleans the armor and replaces the arm guards, before bringing the damaged ones to headquarters. Then he checks on the status of his team. Bear, Toad and Mouse are on standby, but Cat and the others are - alive - active. 

Kakashi returns to his place, puts on a disguise and sets out to catch up on all the news he’s missed. The part of him that is Wolf is acutely aware that the Third ordered him to keep Mariko from losing faith in the village, but he’ll handle that later. Worst case scenario, she'll ask him why he didn't respond in the evening, and expect an answer by morning at the latest. He can spin her dream into a believable excuse. Later.

After all, the Third said he’s free to do as he wishes.

* * *

In what Kakashi will readily admit is an act of petulance, he avoids Takahashi Mariko until the next morning. Then, without putting on Wolf’s mask, he passes by two hours before she should have set her alarm, adjusts his estimated time of wakening because of his findings, writes her a note and seals away the dinner she made him.

He leaves and burns the storage scroll. Petty? Yes. But he’s angry and off duty. He’s allowed to be petty.

The part of him that is Wolf reminds him he still has duties to fulfill.

And Kakashi is going to fulfill them. He’s just not in a particular hurry. He had a plan on how to handle this within twelve hours. Now, he has three hundred and fourteen hours at his disposal. Follow the road of life and all that.

Kakashi goes training. Not the light exercise from before, this is hard and challenging. It’s focused on control, he expended a lot of chakra yesterday. And when evening arrived, he expended what he’d recovered by summoning everyone and keeping them out for as long as possible. At present, his reserves will need four and a half days to recover. 

He has a whole thirteen days at his disposal. How wonderful.

He might have worked through his anger, but it’s still affecting him.

Training helps minimise the impact. It’s a relief to finally be able to challenge himself again, to put his skills to the test. To push the limits of balance, speed, strength. To control his chakra in a different manner than stealth. 

He’s grown stagnant. Not fun.

The only bright side to this time out is that this will soon change.

Five minutes before the purposely superficial estimate he made of when she’d wake, he wraps up his routine and runs towards her place at a leisurely pace. 

He still doesn’t put on Wolf’s mask.

He arrives half a minute after estimate. As it turns out, his estimate was a little off. She must have been up a few minutes at least, because she’s just exited her room.

She’s looking at the note in a way that makes clear just what she’d be willing to give up to make it disappear. Further proving that she dreamed about him. Twice now. 

She walks to the note while cursing the part of herself that doesn’t allow her to ignore this. This right here is one of the reasons she’s such an easy target.

_Are you ignoring me?_

Yes she is. And if she had her way, she'd keep on doing so. She might have dreamed about him, but there’s no emotional infatuation involved. Good.

She grimaces, ever so frustrated with herself. 

She refolds the note and places it back on the bookcase. Planning to keep on ignoring him until she gets her hormones back under control.

Too bad for her, he won’t let her. Really, it would be suspicious if he acted otherwise. 

When she goes to the bathroom, he responds. Then he has to wait until she finishes and oh, the wait is worse than ever. He should have been done with this. Still, the annoyance isn’t great enough to make him move the note back in its original position. He needs to know for certain that her lack of suspicion is real.

As expected, she glances at the note when she leaves the bathroom. She’s anticipating a response. Who is he to deny her?

_Seeing as I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, this is caused by something on your end._

He watches intently as she reads the note.

There’s no trace of suspicion, confusion, surprise, or even a lingering consideration of the first part of the message. She genuinely didn’t see anything out of the ordinary about his silence yesterday. Civilians.

She responds with a scowl.

**_Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet?_ **

She forcefully places the note down and starts making breakfast. With great effort, she resists the urge to see if the note has moved.

Kakashi writes, places note and pen in front of her, slips back outside and dispels the illusion.

She’s as exasperated as she is aggravated. She also curses herself for being unable to ignore this.

_Interesting._

The despair she shows is entertaining indeed. She knows that he knows what’s going on, but she still asks in the vain hope that he’ll prove her wrong.

**_Interesting, what?_ **

Despite her being the one to ask, she almost manages to resist the urge to read his reply. Almost.

_You dreamed about me. Twice now._

She closes her eyes, despair even greater than before. Part of her also starts preparing to defend herself. She expects him to use this against her in the most obnoxious way possible. He’s taught her well.

She takes her frustration out on the paper.

**_I. Don’t. Know. What. You. Look. Like._ **

_Or even what I sound like. And still I inspire dreams like that. Sometimes I even manage to impress myself._

Her glare is beautiful.

**_Shut up._ **

She leaves the page open for a few moments to make sure he reads it, before she crumples it up and throws it into the trash. Letting him know in the strongest of terms that this conversation is over. Kakashi waits until she’s stepped away from the trash before slipping inside, grabbing the page and destroying it. He slips back outside while musing on what to do next. She has no idea he’s no longer tasked with surveilling her, and as long as he doesn’t fall completely silent, the notion that something might have changed won’t even occur to her. 

Which means he can take his time in coming up with a course of action. He’s been doing nothing but predict her behavior for what honestly feels like an eternity. He’s sick of it. 

Luckily, she gave him the perfect excuse to go do something else. She told him to shut up. Being the nice person he is, he’s going to listen.

It's going to drive her up the wall.

Kakashi makes his way to his place, puts on another disguise and makes his way to the southern districts. He gathered information at the Tower yesterday. Now, it’s time to hit the rest of the village. After that, he’s going to train again. His morning session revealed that he’s no longer quite as limber as he’s comfortable with. Can still do everything as well as he could before, but there’s an increase in strain when performing the more complex maneuvers. He’ll work on that this afternoon.

Later, after information has been gathered and considered, after the exertion of another real training session, he feels relaxed enough to consider Takahashi Mariko again. 

He needs to keep her from losing faith in the village. Easy task. He only needs to give her a goodbye.

He isn’t interested in doing that just yet. While it’s boring to watch her every moment, it’s fun to banter with her, and right now Kakashi is in no mood to give up anything he even remotely enjoys. The Third wants him to have fun? Fine, he’ll have fun.

He can change their routine so they only converse in the evening. It’ll be something to look forward to. Whenever his time out starts getting to him, he’ll be able to work off some of his frustration by annoying her.

That takes care of the general plan. Now to consider her unexpected surge in hormones. 

This is going to be fun indeed. She’ll rile herself up even without his interference. Add in the slightest provocation, and she’s going to go off like an explosion tag. It’ll only grow worse with every dream she has. 

Will she keep dreaming about him? Probably not. It’ll happen once more, maybe twice, but afterwards her anger at the loss of control will be so great that it’ll lead to dreams of her hallucinations. That will kill any passion real quick. So, he has to make the most of this. 

Should he prod her into taking vengeance again? It would be interesting to see what she comes up with. 

Before he decides on anything, he should go see her. Her response to his silence today is an important factor to consider. 

She’s going to be in such a bad mood. Him listening to her warnings is not what she’s been taught to expect.

The thing she'll be most annoyed about is that she can't say anything about it. For once, he's obeying her orders.

On arrival, he finds out that he’s right. She’s in a bad mood. Also filled with suspicion. Him subverting her expectations has made her guard go up. She’s convinced he’s up to something.

She’s right.

He opens Obito’s eye and checks the surroundings while she finishes making ramen. Naruto, of course, is delighted by the choice in dinner. Kakashi is amused by it. She’s pointedly not making anything sweet or fried. Hoping that if she just pretends hard enough that nothing unusual is going on, it will turn into reality.

She places his dinner down the bookcase with too much force. Not a good way to pretend everything is normal, Mariko.

He watches the show right until Naruto’s chatter starts to relax her. Then he’s gone. And oh, what a gift that is. When things get boring he can _leave_.

He needs to return tomorrow morning at the latest. She’s going to break and write him either right after waking up, or she’ll do so after dropping Naruto off at the Academy. Though really, it would be better to respond this evening, after Naruto has been put to bed. He should handle these dreams. Right now they're just physical, but with every one that happens, the risk of it turning emotional grows.

But would it turn emotional? She’s perfectly happy with the support system she currently has and feels no need to add to it. If anything, she has an underlying aversion to it. Favorite customers, yes, liked acquaintances, also yes. More intimate friendships, no.

One night stands, yes, long term lovers, no. Wonder how she’d react if he offered to - Kakashi almost halts with incredulity, unable to believe what turn his thoughts just took. Then fear starts to rise.

He quickly goes to his place, checks several times that it hasn’t been tampered with, and then he paces around while doing his best to keep from freaking out. Okay yes, he wondered how she’d react if he offered to ‘make her dreams come true’ but that doesn’t necessarily mean - it’s a normal reaction to the topic at hand.

That’s a lie. He’d been letting his thoughts wander, and they wandered to this. That holds a wealth of meaning.

Kakashi summons as quickly as he can.

“How compromised am I?” he demands before the smoke even finishes clearing.

“Uhm,” says Pakkun.

“In relation to the lady,” Kakashi clarifies, impatient for Pakkun’s answer. He - is afraid - needs to know.

Pakkun starts organising his thoughts. Kakashi resists the urge to tell him to hurry up. Would only cause Pakkun to require even more time.

Finally, Pakkun feels ready to share.

“Pretty compromised,” he says, matter of fact and a little worried. “I mean, you like her, and you’re shit at liking people, boss.”

Exactly. When he likes people, he runs. It’s - necessary - a coping mechanism he has no intention of changing. The only exception is Tenzo, and even there he’s careful to keep clear boundaries between them.

“What brought this on?” Pakkun asks, more curious than worried. Kakashi waves his hand, needing to express his frustration.

“I thought about sleeping with her.” That means something. That means a lot.

Pakkun pulls the face he always does when he thinks humans are being weird.

“Yeah, can’t help with that. You know I don’t get human mating.”

Most summons don't. But Kakashi didn't call him over for advice. Won't turn it away if offered, but he called Pakkun for - comfort - his steadying influence.

Pakkun, well aware of why he was summoned and never one to turn away from personal attention, prepares to jump into his arms. Kakashi catches him and Pakkun wastes no time in getting comfortable, sprawling out so all his favorite spots are within easy reach. Kakashi obliges him, focusing on the sensation of warm fur. The familiar play of muscles, shifting subtly depending on Pakkun’s wants. 

He keeps - panicking - struggling to make sense of this.

Pakkun enjoys the meticulous attention, but his worry remains. Which is why he offers to help him work through this.

“Why is it a problem that you want to sleep with her?”

“Because it means I'm compromised.” On a far more fundamental level than assumed. He _never_ thinks about sleeping with someone he knows well. Even in dreams, that boundary almost never gets crossed. Consciously thinking that way about someone he knows, and worse, someone he actually likes? No, that - can’t - doesn’t happen. 

Pakkun lets out a dramatic sigh. Making clear that he considers this to be an overreaction on Kakashi’s part. Part of Kakashi agrees with that but most of him doesn’t.

“If it bothers you that much, just take off.”

Kakashi chuckles, genuinely caught off guard.

“Nice try,” he says, impressed. Pakkun delivered the reverse mind game without a single tell.

Pakkun flicks his ears, a little disappointed that the attempt failed but mostly pleased with the outcome. He made him laugh, and he’s still getting the full body treatment.

“Worth a shot.”

The shot could have landed if all his summons hadn’t on multiple occasions made very clear just what they think of his people issues. Pakkun is firmly on the side of him needing to make - more - friends.

Pakkun’s patience is helping him calm down as always. Which means he can think about this clearly.

He thought about sleeping with Takahashi Mariko. What could cause that? 

The upcoming three hundred and one hours. A time out is - infuriating - not something he handles well even at the best of times, never mind in circumstances like these. He’s lashing out. He has a need to physically express his frustration, a need to find a physical release. So really, is it any wonder that, on encountering this topic, his thoughts went down this route?

Yes it is. His mind does _not_ link emotional affection to physical arousal or vice versa. The two are completely separate, and they are that way because of conscious efforts on his part. He split the two on purpose, conditioned himself until it became internalised. So what could break that boundary? It can’t be caused by him liking her, there are - four - others he likes more.

...He trusts her not to hurt him? No, that can’t be it either. He trusts - two - others more than her. 

...She’s the second one he’s ever reached out to of his own initiative since Sensei. And yes, she isn’t the only one he takes initiative with, but there’s a very important difference between her and Tenzo.

She doesn’t need him. He could leave right now, and while it would inspire some hurt, it wouldn’t truly harm her. She’d get over his absence without lasting harm. That's why the musing involved her in particular. Helped along by the topic at hand, but this is a more important factor.

The root cause is the time out. All other factors wouldn't have mattered if he wasn’t angry at the Third. Kakashi relaxes at the knowledge that he isn’t quite as - vulnerable - compromised as feared.

Pakkun rewards him for managing to work through his freak out.

“Touch my paws, boss. You know you want to.”

Kakashi does indeed want to. Pakkun has the softest pads of all his summons. The cutest as well.

He strokes the pink pads in the way Pakkun likes best, marveling at how smooth they are. Pakkun lets out a pleased sound and closes his eyes, a puddle of bliss. Pakkun isn’t shy to offer his paws to strangers, but he only enjoys them being touched by - family - pack.

After treating himself and Pakkun a little longer, he dispels Pakkun. Then, for the first time since the Third ordered him off duty, he puts on Wolf’s mask.

Wolf disapproves of his deliberate avoidance of Hokage-sama’s command. Kakashi is relieved. 

They’ve been compromised to unacceptable levels. They will fulfill Hokage-sama’s orders, and then they will avoid the disruptive element.

Yeah, not going to happen. The Third told him to have fun. He’s going to have fun.

Wolf disagrees with this course of action.

Too bad for Wolf, the Third told him that, aside from ensuring Mariko doesn't lose faith in the village, he’s free to do as he wishes. This means he’s free to keep writing if he so wishes.

Kakashi takes off Wolf’s mask. Not something he could have done had he been on duty, Wolf would have stopped him from acting on personal desires then. But he’s on a time out. This is Kakashi's area, not Wolf's.

He starts making dinner. He’s hungry. And not in the mood for her home cooking just yet. 

While making eggplant, he considers the village intel findings some more. He can consider what to do with Mariko later. While he’s worked through the worst of his freak out, he’d prefer to calm down some more before revisiting that route.

After Naruto’s bedtime has passed, Kakashi goes to her home. Decisions involving her are better taken when watching her. Her mood is an important factor.

It's fun to go now that he knows he can be surprised by his findings. The odds are low but they're real. And they'll keep growing the less he sees of her.

They'll never disappear in full. This assignment saw to that.

On arrival, he finds that she hasn’t broken yet. And she won’t until tomorrow morning.

She’s struggling to write and growing more annoyed with every moment that passes. In a few more minutes, she’s going to start cleaning with a great deal of unnecessary force. Kakashi gets comfortable and considers his next move. Rile her up? Entertaining yet familiar. He’s in the mood for something new.

...How would she react if he offered to make her dreams come true? Has no intention of doing so of course, but still. Now that he’s calmed down, he’s curious. It's a question that requires conscious thought to answer.

She wouldn’t see it as a real offer. She’d see it as him mocking her. Which, fair enough. But should he present the offer in a way she'd take as genuine, how would she react?

With surprise. Confusion. A complete lack of fear.

Curiosity. Maybe? She considers him a friend, and while she hasn’t conditioned herself to separate physical and emotional as he has, she's internalised it to a lesser extent. She’s of the opinion that friendship is easy, romance is hard. Which means that sleeping with him would form an unnecessary complication.

On the other hand, she might very well decide that sleeping with him would change exactly nothing. He’d still be the bastard who annoys and entertains her. The fact that he’d have gotten her off would be neatly dropped into the mental box of booty calls. 

And with that thought, Kakashi is forced to admit that, now that the idea has been born, part of him wants to sleep with her. 

The acknowledgement inspires an immediate denial that's all his and a disapproval that's all Wolf's. The strength of it makes him relax.

He still knows right from wrong. But, the fact remains. Part of him wants to sleep with her, despite feeling no physical desire for her. Why is that?

...Because she’s safe. She doesn’t know him and has no way of finding out his identity. She doesn’t need him, she’s incapable of harming him, and she’s a firm believer in following your passions without shame. Sleeping with her would be fun.

It would be wrong. He might be off duty, but she doesn’t know that. There are lines that can’t be crossed and this is one of them. Konoha would have never been able to form without the certainty that bloodline theft will not be tolerated. Seducing outsiders in the name of duty, yes, seducing your own, no. The fact that she’s a civilian makes no difference. 

Technically speaking, it wouldn’t be treason. He’d be acting on personal desires instead of professional ones. But even at best, this will see him punished.

There wouldn’t be any punishment if she knew he was off duty. That’s not going to happen, though. Would give her the impression that he cares for her. He doesn’t. He likes her, can’t avoid acknowledging that, but like and care are two very different things. 

He needs to stop thinking about this. It’s pointless. He’ll just put on a disguise and visit the red light district to get this need out of his system.

...Except the need wouldn’t be out of his system. Oh, it would take the edge off, but his desire to sleep with her is born from the fact that he wouldn’t need to take the usual precautions. It’s born from the knowledge that she’s exactly who she seems to be. Sure, he knows the workers in the red light district as well, has his favorites even. But every time he goes, part of him remains on guard. Part of him expects him to walk into a trap. 

No part of him expects that with her.

...Could he sleep with her?

The part of him that is Wolf is all but yelling that he can’t. Not as long as she doesn’t know that this wouldn’t be motivated by orders.

She would know. She’s never mistaken their interaction as professional. The division was strengthened by his encouragement, but the initial assumption was born from instinct. That instinct would extend to this interaction as well. And she wouldn’t go along with his offer unless she truly wanted to.

It would definitely be a new experience. 

Kakashi comes to a decision. Is it the wrong decision? Yes. But if the Third wanted him to be reasonable, he shouldn’t have given him a time out.

He slips inside her room and opens Obito’s eye. Examining the wards, he works out the best way to do this. Closing Obito’s eye, he unseals ink and brush, and starts adding a silencing seal. He’s not a seal master by a long shot, but he isn’t unskilled either.

The trick here is to create a seal that won’t trigger the detection wards already in place. It’s not something he would have been capable of if he hadn’t already been keyed in to the wards, but he is, and so he has enough leeway to succeed. Can’t add a permanent seal though, that would get discovered eventually. But a temporary one poses no real risk.

After finishing, he slips outside. The best way to extend an invitation is by doing it right before she goes to sleep. That will take another hour at the least.

Kakashi fills the time by working on his wind release. It’s the transformation he has most trouble with. A consequence of his natural affinity being lightning.

He returns to her place fifteen minutes before she should go to sleep. Can’t risk being late after all.

She’s managed to return to her writing. It isn’t relaxing her as much as usual, though. Sixteen minutes before she gives up and goes to bed.

Sixteen minutes is a long time to do nothing. Or rather, it is when he’s wound up from being stuck in a time out. 

Kakashi slips inside her room, grabs one of the explicit novels she moved under her bed after taking in Naruto, before going outside again and reading. He has no idea what plot the novel holds, but this is one of his favorite authors for a reason. The story will be captivating enough to prevent his thoughts from wandering to places he doesn’t want them to. Also put him in the mood for what’s to come.

He returns his attention to Mariko when she starts preparing for bed. Nineteen minutes have passed. She held out longer than expected.

Returning the novel to her stash, he positions himself behind the door, anticipation starting to rise. This is going to be fun.

But first.

Kakashi unseals Wolf’s mask and prepares. This will involve some tricky mental acrobatics on his part. He can’t sleep with her without an Anbu mask, that would drag him out of the box she placed him into. He can’t use a fake mask either, both he and Wolf reject that notion in the most violent way possible. So, he needs to put on Wolf’s mask without becoming Wolf. Not easy.

Not impossible either.

Kakashi puts on Wolf’s mask. Wolf tries to make him leave but Kakashi is in control. He’s on a time out, he’s acting on personal desires, and he isn’t committing treason. Wolf has no say in this.

Wolf disagrees. Kakashi ignores that.

He manages to keep from arguing with himself, though he doesn’t manage to keep his mood from cooling down. 

He still has time to leave. He could still do the right thing.

He’s on a time out. It’s expected of him to lash out. Who is he to deny people's expectations?

When she enters her room, he casts a minor illusion and activates the silencing seal. The anticipation that had faded starts returning as she goes to close the curtains.

This is going to be fun.

While she steps away from the curtains, Kakashi adjusts the illusion, goes to the window and slides open one of the curtains just enough to grant her the moonlight needed to see in the dark. 

She turns off the lights and rubs her eyes. Commanding herself not to dream about him tonight. She’s in luck, she won’t dream about him. Reality will see to that.

He positions himself out of sight of the window, and when she starts walking to her bed, he dispels the illusion.

She halts, confused by the room becoming less dark. When she realises where the light is coming from, she turns towards the window. Kakashi takes that as his cue.

“I’ve decided to help you with your problem.”

He almost manages to reach the second syllable before she spins towards him with a scream. This is why he added the silencing seal. She would have woken Naruto otherwise.

And he approached her like this for three reasons. One, it’s funny. Two, it will make her interpret his offer as genuine. Three, it will tell him whether or not he’s overestimated how comfortable she is with him. He’s invaded her most personal space without warning. Her first reaction to that will reveal everything he needs to know.

He sees the exact moment she realises she’s looking at an Anbu. Immediately after, she assumes it’s him in particular. Now, how will she react?

With a complete lack of fear. 

“Why are you - no, I’m not doing this. It’s bad enough you keep stalking me invisibly, now you’re going to physically harass me as well? And what the hell do you mean, help me with my problem? I don’t have a problem. Except for being stalked of course.”

She speaks without thought. Seeing him for the first time means that she’s consumed by a desire to memorise every detail of what he looks like. Not that she’ll succeed. He’s positioned himself so she can make out no more than a vague outline. Why go the easy route when he can go the fun one instead?

And this is going to be fun indeed. He invaded her space like this on purpose. If she showed even the slightest discomfort at finding him here, he would have turned the reason for his entrance into something else. No part of her can find his presence threatening. 

No part of her does. The opposite. The way her eyes linger on his form, the change in her breathing, the shift in scent. She finds him attractive. She finds him very attractive. Despite knowing it’s born directly from the dreams she had, it’s kind of flattering.

“I disagree, you’ve developed quite the issue,” he says, and is a little surprised by how little reaction she has to hearing him speak. Seems she gave him a mental voice similar to one he decided to use with her. “You’re so unsatisfied that you’re even fantasizing about men you have no visual contact with.”

She raises an unimpressed brow, not appreciating the slight against her skills. She’s proud of how talented her hands are. She’s also reminding herself of the two successful booty calls she’s managed since the disastrous first one. By all rights, she shouldn’t be frustrated.

She is. More importantly, she’s curious to see where this will lead. 

“You’re planning to fix that how exactly?”

And here it is. The point of no return.

Kakashi moves forward without hesitation.

“Take off your clothes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we're getting to the good part...  
> But yeah, this was a trip to write. Kakashi, stop thinking so much! Go cuddle with your summons instead. And go spar with Gai some more. It'll be good for you (seriously tho, I had so much fun writing Gai. He is Fabulous)


	8. Sexy Times - Part 1

He watches her reaction, anticipation even greater than before. He’s passed the point of no return.

Will she do the same?

The answer isn’t immediately clear and that makes everything so much better. It inspires a tension he hasn’t felt in far too long. Most of him might believe she’ll want this too but not all of him does. The uncertainty is exciting.

If she has any fear about doing this, conscious or unconscious, he’ll leave. He’ll do the same if she has any doubts. But if she doesn’t, if she wants this instead...

She’s still struggling to process his words, wide eyes aimed at him. Trying to figure out if he’s being serious. Trying to figure out if this is real or if she’s dreaming again.

Slowly, she moves to pull off her top, but it isn’t an agreement. It’s a way to figure out if this is real or not. Despite that, Kakashi feels a surge in arousal. Most of the time her body confidence inspires faint amusement and occasional admiration, but right now it’s heady to witness indeed.

She doesn’t feel vulnerable. In this situation, that’s more than a little attractive.

She lets the sleeping top fall to the floor, upper body completely bare. Kakashi traces the skin unmarked by battle. She has a few scars but they’re nothing like the ones he carries. She has no way to defend herself against someone like him.

She trusts him not to hurt her. While he expected that to turn him on, he didn’t expect it to hit quite this hard.

He isn’t complaining. 

He sees the exact moment she concludes this is real. Immediately after, every hesitation falls away, a giddy smile appearing and her back straightening with confidence. She wants this. 

She isn’t afraid. Kakashi grows a little harder.

She hooks her thumbs beneath her shorts and slips them down just a little. Purposely teasing him. Kakashi rewards her by shifting his balance in a way she’ll catch. Letting her know he appreciates the response.

Her smile grows sultry. Enjoying his encouragement very much indeed. She has a rather assertive personality on the whole, and it’s no different in bed. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t respond to praise.

She rewards in turn him by slowly pushing down her shorts, shimmying her hips as she does. He’s seen far more sensual sights, yet her confidence, how at ease she is despite having every reason to be afraid...

She turns around as her shorts fall down, clad in nothing but her panties. Stepping out of her shorts, she throws an alluring look over her shoulder. Telling him it’s his turn. He responds by letting out an audible sigh. The reaction she has to something so simple, the surge in arousal, the sight of how strongly she _feels_. She might not be his type but right now Kakashi is having trouble remembering why that is so.

She closes her eyes, tilts back her head and lifts her hands. Planning to put up the show she claimed not to do on command.

She starts by stroking her neck, the sound familiar but the sight most definitely not. Her touch is soft and delicate. She always starts slow. Teasing herself to heighten all that’s to come. 

She adds a hint of nails. Not enough to create real marks but enough to add a bite.

In bed, she enjoys flirting with pain. Never to the point where it conflicts with pleasure, but to her, a soft edge makes everything so much better. 

It’s exactly the kind of edge Kakashi enjoys inflicting on others. Another reason he did this is because their tastes in bed are quite complementary.

He shares his approval by letting out another audible sigh. It causes a full body reaction and the scent of her arousal becomes even stronger. She’s so responsive. So sensitive.

How will she react to his touch? 

She slips her hands beneath her panties and the _sounds_ , wet and lewd and hitting him as never before. The sight of her, touching herself without shame. The scents so strong Kakashi can taste them. Then she moans and it hits like a bolt of lightning. The pleasure of it all, knowing it’s caused by nothing but desire, knowing it’s caused by _him_.

He wants to touch her. Wants to replace her hands with his own and cloud her mind with pleasure. Wants to bring her to the brink and keep her there forever.

He revels in resisting the urge. The buildup is what makes all that is to come so good.

When he speaks, he allows his desire to color his voice.

His words are a challenge she won’t refuse.

“Take it off.”

She doesn’t disappoint, toying with the edges of the fabric without any intention of obeying. It makes him want to close the distance between them and get rid of the last scrap of fabric. Which is exactly the feeling she’s hoping to inspire.

She likes teasing her partner in bed. Likes drawing it out, likes pushing until they break. 

In this kind of situation, Kakashi likes being pushed. He likes the chase, likes how he needs to control himself until she moves things along herself. And she will. 

She wants to see this through as much as he does. Even more so, in fact.

Finally, she pushes her panties down and steps out of them. Kakashi can all but taste her. 

He wants to touch her so badly. Wants to see her lost to pleasure.

“Turn around.”

She won’t. She’s going to dare him to do it himself instead.

What action does she think will prod him doing that?

She looks over her shoulder, playful and excited. Then brings up a finger coated in her own desire and sucks it clean. _Fuck_.

“Make me.”

He moves forward faster than she can process, barely keeping himself from doing it at a speed that would seem instantaneous to her. The disorientation would break the mood. 

Covering her back with his front, her heat tangible in a way it has never been, he gently grabs her wrists in one hand and covers her throat with the other, soft but firm. 

She shivers, pulse racing and arousal so strong it makes his lips part. Breathing through his mouth to better catch every nuance, to let her desire coat his tongue. To taste the complete lack of fear. There’s a physical response to having her throat covered like this, an awareness that he could snap her neck without effort.

No part of her believes he’ll do it. She knows he’s Anbu, knows he has blood on his hands. And she’s not afraid.

He doesn’t press his cock against her backside. Doesn’t cover her legs with his own. Can barely handle the racing pulse beneath his fingers, the heat penetrating his gloves. The fragile wrists held within the palm of his hand. The pressure her back is placing on his armor. When being intimate with another, touch always overwhelms him. A consequence of avoiding it most other times. 

It’s hitting so much harder than normal. He isn’t wearing the usual disguise, isn’t pretending to be anything other than what he is. She might not know who he is but she knows what he is. A soldier. A weapon. A killer.

She still feels safe with him.

Letting go of her throat, he turns her around, makes her take a step back so her back will be against the wall, and lifts her hands over her head, still keeping them captive. In this position, the moonlight lets her see his mask in detail. She can’t fool herself into thinking he isn’t dangerous.

Her lips part, pupils blown with desire and body so compliant. She’s looking straight at him. And she isn’t afraid.

He wants.

So does she. She closes her eyes, reveling in the sensations he inspires. She feels exposed.

She’s loving every moment of it.

Kakashi strokes her throat. It makes her gasp, a shiver running through her. So responsive. So vulnerable. 

So trusting.

He moves his hand lower, gliding his fingers over her breasts. A feather light touch. Her breathing grows even heavier.

His hand feels like it’s being burned. 

His touch goes lower, fingers sliding over her stomach. Then they go even lower. 

He halts right where she wants him to. And he doesn’t move.

He wants her to look at him.

His action succeeds in doing just that. Her eyes fly open, nothing on her mind but the need for him to keep moving. She’s so open about her desires. So confident in chasing after them. As she further proves by letting out a moan that sets his every nerve alight, before she moves her hips so she’ll get the friction she needs.

He pulls his hand back. The strangled sound that inspires is even hotter than her moan.

“Touch me, damn you,” she orders. He responds with a low laugh that will increase both her frustration and her arousal. Then he throws her own words back at her.

“Make me.”

She narrows her eyes. Rising to the challenge as always. Or rather, she will after she clears her thoughts enough to come up with a plan.

He already knows what she’s going to do. And he’s looking forward to it.

She lifts her leg, hooks it around his waist and pulls. Kakashi allows her to succeed.

A harsh breath escapes him, every nerve set alight as his cock fits against her and then she’s rubbing herself against him, her desire soaking his pants and the fabric almost too rough against his overly sensitive skin, and she’s pushing her entire body against him, blind to anything but the need for release.

He _wants_.

Releasing her wrists, he tangles his hand through her hair and tilts back her head. His other hand grabs her ass and pulls her even closer, increasing the near painful friction, increasing touch and sensation until he’s all but drowning in it. 

Part of him wants to take off his gloves. Part of him wants to feel her skin directly, wants to find out exactly what her hair feels like. 

Most of him is overwhelmed. She’s looking at him. She’s seeing him, she’s _reaching_ for him, one hand grabbing his shoulder and her other tangling in his hair and she isn’t aware like he is, isn’t taking conscious care not to hurt him.

She’s still gentle. Her hold on his hair is firm, born from a desire to have him as close as possible. But she doesn’t pull. She’s following his lead, responding to the pace he’s set without thought. Because she trusts him. 

Maybe that’s why her touch is like lightning, why it feels like he could come just from having her hand in his hair. Her fingers caressing his scalp, soft skin a sharp contrast to the force she’s using to hold his hair captive. It makes him throb, makes him _want_.

Kakashi rolls his hips, moving in time with her and oh, the feeling, scent, taste, the _sound_ she lets out, needy and demanding. 

Who is he to deny her?

Lifting her up, he moves towards the bed at an almost too fast pace. Placing her down, he settles himself over her, holding her wrists captive once more. If she touches him like that again, he’ll lose it. He isn’t ready for that just yet.

She whines. The sound makes him shiver.

Let’s see if he can make her do that again.

He touches her. It doesn’t inspire another whine, but the breathless sound she lets out is just as good. It’s made even better by how she spreads her legs and arches her back. Lost to pleasure and not even trying to hide it. Not wanting to hide it.

He rewards her by slipping his finger inside, rubbing his thumb over her clit almost too harshly and she’s getting close now, is racing towards the finish.

What a shame she won’t reach it just yet.

He stills his hand. It earns him a strangled sound and a furious glare. 

“I will hurt you so much,” she threatens as though she can actually make good on it. He lets out a low laugh and revels in the involuntary shiver that inspires.

“I’d like to see you try.” He really would. Later.

Right now he drinks in the response his taunt inspires. She’s struggling in earnest to get free now, is pulling at her wrists and using her legs. Kakashi ensures his grip remains gentle, uses his other hand to keep her hips down, and keeps her legs trapped beneath his own. Having her squirm against him like this is heady.

It’s heady because she shows no fear. No part of her believes she’s in danger. No part of her believes he’ll hurt her.

Kakashi shifts his balance so he can keep her hips down without the use of his hand, before freeing his cock. He’s careful to keep their skin from meeting, needs a moment to compose himself. Her heat alone, trapped between their bodies, is making him throb even harder than before. 

She’s oblivious to what he’s done, nothing on her mind but the need to get free.

She wants to be free so they can touch. He can do that without letting go of her.

Lining himself up, he grasps her hips to steady her again, and then he thrusts in. 

He’s absently aware of the sounds she makes but all he can focus on is how wet she is, how hot and tight and the lack of other skin contact makes this so intense, so overwhelming and part of him takes not of that for future reference but most of him can only feel, can only move and she’s following his lead, moving with him and he might feel no other skin but the pressure as she arches against him, the eagerness with which she wraps her legs around his hips the moment she can and it’s too much, can’t take this, need to stop.

He stops. And covers her mouth on instinct when she prepares to let out a scream. Part of him remembers that he doesn’t need to do that, he added a silencing seal. 

Most of him is mesmerised by the glare she gives him, unfocused and furious and filled with such longing. She’s looking at him like nothing exists outside of this moment. Like all the pain and death he’s caused don’t matter.

She’s commanding him to move. Kakashi obeys without conscious thought, only realises what’s happening when sensation overwhelms him again because she’s so tight, so wet and he wants that, wants it all, and then he has it all because he’s let go of her wrists and she’s clutching at his shoulders and pulling at his hair, the sharp sting making him thrust harder and he can’t tell who is in charge, thinks he might be following her lead because his fingers are busy with her clit again and she’s so _tight_.

She’s screaming, her voice no longer muffled by his hand. It’s _nothing_ like the screams he’s used to hearing, not trace of pain or fear, only pleasure and rapture and she’s feeling that way because of _him_.

She gets even tighter and she’s close, so close and so is he, could come right this moment but he doesn’t, not yet, not until she finishes and makes him feel...

 _That_.

Kakashi lets go with a soundless groan. 

He slumps down, absently adjusting his balance so he won’t burden her. He feels boneless. Feels relaxed as he so rarely is.

He allows himself several moments to savor the feeling in full. Then he pulls out, inspiring another delicious shiver in her, before he tucks himself in, gets his uniform back in order, and gets off the bed. He checks to see if he’s left any recognisable scent behind, and is pleased to find he didn’t. 

She lazily follows his movements, only partly aware of what’s happening. She’s sated and spent. She’s basking in the, as she puts it, rush of happy hormones. So is he, but he can do that without remaining here.

In what is a fairly casual move for him, he slips out of her sight in the time it takes for her to blink, silently opens the window, and leaves. 

He still feels wonderfully relaxed. Now this was great fun indeed.

He wonders if she’d be up for a repeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present, the moment we've all been waiting for. Hope it met your expectations x3


	9. The Middle - Part 3

Kakashi rapidly considers. He can’t escape without drawing attention, Shisui is renowned for his mastery of the body flicker for a reason. But if he doesn’t leave, Shisui of the Body Flicker is going to make him wish he had. Not certain yet of just how bad it’s going to be, but even at best, this is going to be - dangerous - an ordeal.

Shisui is more worried than angry, and the worry is aimed at him and Mariko both. If he plays it right, he'll be able to get out of here without Shisui trapping him with her.

Shisui knows he’s settled on a plan thanks to his Sharingan. Also knows he's about to enact a strategy of avoidance, and possibly knows there will be a direct play on his sympathies.

Shisui starts weaving an auditory illusion. Wanting to speak freely. Not going to happen.

Kakashi closes Obito’s eye, puts on his usual act of off duty apathy and drops out of stealth. As intended, the illusion unravels when Shisui turns off his Sharingan and reveals himself in turn. It is not appreciated for an Uchiha not on duty to have their eyes active, and Shisui always takes care to cast his clan in the best light possible.

Shisui is convinced he’ll be able to get what he wants to know even without his eyes. For once, Kakashi is glad for the overconfidence. 

Shisui waves like nothing unusual is going on.

“Long time no see,” he says, cheerful and at ease. Without context, there’s no way for anyone observing them to pick up on the underlying message.

_You’re a bastard._

“Not in the mood,” he returns, bored and unbothered. Acting like normal as well.

_Yes I am. And if you don’t drop this, I’m going to confirm why in great detail._

“Don’t be like that, I’m serious. We haven’t talked in ages.”

_Tell me what happened._

Kakashi responds by remaining silent without a care.

_No._

Shisui shakes his head with a wry smile and gives him a mock warning look that threatens to turn sincere. The part of Shisui that is Crow prevents that from happening by putting on a playful grin. 

“Come on, this won’t take long. We can spar after.”

_Tell me. Now._

Kakashi waits long enough for people to interpret it as a potential consideration of the offer. While it isn’t common knowledge that he enjoys sparring with Shisui, it isn’t a secret either.

Right now no part of him wants to spar with the meddlesome brat.

“Another time.”

_No._

He’s expecting Shisui to keep pushing.

He is not expecting Shisui to respond with easy defeat. Shisui lets out a sigh and shrugs.

“Suit yourself. I'll be going to get some peach sencha.”

Kakashi is careful to keep - fear - anything from slipping. Normally he’d interpret this as Shisui telling him he’s going to interrogate Mariko instead, but combined with how little he pushed...

He wouldn’t.

Shisui responds with a cheerful wave of farewell and prepares to take to the streets.

He would.

Kakashi abandons his original plan and casually follows Shisui down to the ground level. Shisui gives him a victorious look that’s all real. Kakashi resists the urge to glare. 

His mind is racing on how to best handle this. He can’t get out of this, Shisui will tell her who he is if he takes off. Keeping her from figuring it out on her own won’t be difficult, the thought that he might be ‘the bastard’ won’t even occur to her. But there’s still their surroundings to consider. When Kakashi appears in public, people notice. It’s already happening, people’s eyes gliding over him before doing a double take as they consciously process just who they’ve spotted.

“Decided to join me after all?” Shisui asks like he didn’t blackmail him into doing this.

“Only if we’re sparring after,” Kakashi returns, light and at ease. 

He’s decided to go with the impression that he’s the one who sought out Shisui for a spar, and now he’s annoyed at Shisui for wanting to ‘hang out’ first. The conversation before was curated to leave doubt over who initiated the meeting, but while he could continue that act, there’s no real advantage to it. This would not be the first time he’s displayed displeasure over being made to wait to train. 

Right now he wants to display his - fear - displeasure very much indeed.

“Deal,” Shisui says with an annoying amount of satisfaction. When Shisui walks, Kakashi follows. Kakashi's hands are in his pockets in a display of this not being business, and his body language says he’s bored and paying no noticeable attention to his surroundings. 

His stance holds no openings. No matter what angle the attack, he has a response ready. A bluff all the more powerful for being true.

“So, how are you? Anything interesting happen?” Shisui asks like the asshole he is. There’s no expectation of an answer. Kakashi fulfills that expectation. Letting Shisui know this is not going to end well for him.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking,” Shisui continues before he smoothly launches into a predetermined story. “Met a girl. Well, I say met, but it’s not like I didn’t know her before. But we hadn't ever really talked and it turns out she’s really nice. And really funny. We went on a date and I honestly didn’t expect to have that good a time.”

Kakashi wonders if this is just a case of advantageous timing or whether Shisui went on a date exactly so that he could talk about this without arousing suspicion. Probably the former. Shisui doesn’t enjoy not acting on genuine feelings, and he likes it even less when it involves someone from his clan. Still, it’s possible Shisui was already planning to ask her out and just acted sooner because of him and Mariko. Kakashi makes a mental note to find out who Shisui’s date was. Shisui might not believe this can be used against him but Kakashi excels at exploiting people’s blindspots.

Kakashi takes care to let nothing slip as they enter the tea house. 

It takes a painfully long moment before she spots Shisui. When it finally happens, she smiles. 

Her smile reveals to all that - she’s hurt - something is bothering her. Not that this wouldn’t have been obvious otherwise. The tension in her shoulders, the way she holds herself. Everything about her says that she’s struggling with - heartbreak - a personal issue.

She’s angry. She’s worried. She’s hurt.

Kakashi forcefully ignores all of this. This is ridiculous, there’s no reason for her to feel this way. It was just sex.

Shisui chatters on about the topic of dating in a natural manner while moving to a table with a good view of all the exit points. Wise choice. She's going to come over no matter where they sit, and Kakashi is _not_ putting his back to the entrance as Shisui and Itachi always meaningfully do here. Shisui might have him trapped but there are limits to how far he can be pushed.

As expected, she starts coming over before they even finish taking a seat.

“Here I thought you’d abandoned me,” she quips at Shisui. Happy to see him as always.

Most of her attention is on him. A normal response. One, this is the first time Shisui has come in with someone other than Itachi, and two, she’s looking for something to distract her from her - worry - feelings. His appearance would have roused her curiosity no matter what, but right now the effect is even greater than it otherwise would have been.

If they were still talking, she would mention this encounter. She would make a joke about believing him to be the only one who enjoys covering up to this degree. 

Kakashi - misses - forcefully pushes those thoughts away. What does it matter what she would have said? All contact between them is over. 

Or rather, it would have been if it weren’t for the meddlesome brat who dragged him here.

“I could never abandon you, Mari-chan,” Shisui quips back without letting anything incriminating slip. Kakashi would have been grateful for how smooth Shisui is being if Shisui hadn’t trapped him here in the first place.

Her eyes linger on his hair. Not with recognition, she’s just admiring the color. While she examines the rest of him, Kakashi takes care to not let slip just how much attention he’s paying her in turn. He has to pay her attention of course. While it isn’t difficult to keep her from suspecting who he is, that could easily change if he - breaks - acts carelessly.

“So, peach sencha?” she asks Shisui without taking her eyes off him. Kakashi keeps track of her through scent, sound and sight, careful not to let anyone notice just how aware he is of - his mask - her presence. The attention he’s paying to the rest of his surroundings isn’t false, being with her out in the open inspires an urgent need to - run - remain on guard. Even so, it’s hard not to let anything slip. Proven further when Kakashi catches himself enhancing his sense of touch. Wanting to feel her heat. Wanting to feel her.

The desire is a natural response to the kind of contact they used to have. Nothing more.

“You know me so well,” Shisui says. Kakashi is going to make him suffer.

The look she gives Shisui is - nothing like the ones she has for him - fond.

“Indeed I do. And what can I get for you?” she asks while returning her vision to him, still showing no sign of recognition. Kakashi keeps acting like he isn’t paying her any attention. She’s a civilian with great political power. If he pays her open attention, it would be a glaring sign that this place wasn’t chosen at random. Him openly passing by here is normal, he’s been doing that since the moment she first announced her intention to adopt Naruto. Used a shadow clone while surveilling her, and kept doing it with a certain regularity after. It would be suspicious if the Fourth’s student didn't keep tabs on Konoha's jinchuuriki. 

He’s never come in. Never let her see him either, always avoiding her line of sight. All normal behavior.

Him putting up with Shisui’s pestering because he wants to spar is normal behavior as well. Him paying open attention to a civilian who wields more influence than most clans do, not so much.

His lack of response makes her raise a brow at Shisui. Asking him what she’s supposed to do with this. Shisui answers like he isn’t examining her as carefully as Kakashi is. On the lookout for recognition as well.

“Don’t mind him, Mari-chan, he often acts like this. He’ll have the same.”

He’s going to make Shisui regret ever putting on his headband.

She accepts the response with an easy shrug.

“All right then. Be right back.”

She goes back to the counter to prepare the order. Shisui returns to his chattering. Kakashi lets everyone know he isn't enjoying this by not reacting to anything said.

Two chunin outside, one of who is a Yumika, are considering whether to enter so they can observe him with a cup of tea. Kakashi meets their gaze through the window and holds it long enough to let them know just what a bad idea that would be. He’s letting himself show his - fear - displeasure after all.

The two wisely decide to move on. Probably won’t loiter around to eavesdrop, but others are undoubtedly doing just that. As for the three career genin that were already inside when he arrived, they’re listening in with a great many tells. If they ever want to leave the Corps, they need to work on that.

She’s almost finished with the order when two civilian regulars enter. Kakashi is so relieved to see they’re here for her. Shisui can’t drag this out too long without arousing suspicion, and if her attention is split between the two tables, this is going to be just a little easier to handle. Shisui will try to foist the regulars onto one of the others of course, but Kakashi can counter that.

She’s - hurt, tired, worried - disappointed that she won’t be able to talk to Shisui as much as she wants. Kakashi almost starts considering whether or not he should let Shisui succeed but he catches himself in time. This is a good thing. The less she interacts with him, even unknowingly, the better it is for everyone involved.

Unfortunately, her friends don’t require outside influence in order to take over the regulars. Renji approaches her from behind. 

Kakashi knows exactly what’s about to happen.

“Go.”

She spins around with a - familiar - startled sound. It’s ridiculous just how strongly he - misses - responds to that. Even having known it was coming, he almost doesn’t manage to keep tells from forming.

Renji chuckles. While there was no conscious decision to take advantage of her blindspot, he enjoys the response inspired.

She’s - beautiful - pissed. Before she can express the feeling out loud, Renji reveals the reason he did this.

“I’ll take them.”

Her anger is gone, replaced by overwhelming relief and gratitude. Normally she enjoys chatting with regulars, but right now she wants to focus on Shisui only. Wants to let her favorite customer distract her from unwanted thoughts.

The relief is followed by guilt. She knows she hasn’t been the most pleasant of company lately.

“Okay, you’re taking this too far. I’m trying to get real advice.”

Kakashi gives Shisui an unimpressed glance. In part because an occasional reaction is expected even with his current attitude but mostly because this is skirting away from normal behavior. Kakashi of the Sharingan is not someone you go to for romantic advice. Shisui pretending otherwise will draw too much attention to them.

Shisui is hoping that the topic will spark an unconscious link in Mari - Mariko. Not going to happen. That at least Kakashi can take comfort in.

Renji has made sure that's the only thing he can take comfort in. He’s waved her offer to take on the regulars herself aside and is now telling her to go chat with half her favorite comedy act.

“I know, this isn’t your thing,” Shisui says, casual for the most part but with an underlying seriousness. While he’s still expressing his opinion on him and Mariko without making it obvious, he’s on thin ice. 

She's thanking Renji. She's about to come back.

“But help me out here. How would you handle this?”

“I wouldn’t,” Kakashi says with the lightest of bites. How he wishes they were on a training field already.

Shisui gains a rueful grin that doesn’t mask his satisfaction. The satisfaction will be read as general pleasure at eliciting a response only if he continues his story now. Which he will. 

She's coming over.

“Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t,” Shisui says. She's about to make out what Shisui is saying. "But pretend you did. What would you do? I feel like I should wait until the second date.”

She’s examining him again. Her eyes linger on the exposed skin of his fingers and forearms. 

She won’t recognise him. She won’t. The scars on his hand are covered and she’s never seen anything but his biceps.

She’s comparing his current image to the others she has of him. This becomes clear when she’s overcome by frustration. She doesn’t want to think of him but she’s doing it anyway. 

No part of her is entertaining the thought that they might be the same person.

“The third? Don’t want to come on too strong after all.”

She gladly distracts herself from her thoughts by focusing on Shisui. Kakashi is so relieved.

“New crush, Shisui?” she asks, setting down the tray and pouring them both a cup.

“Maybe,” Shisui says with what he believes to be a flirtatious smile. “Not certainly, but maybe.”

As always, Shisui manages to hold most of her attention. That’s good. It is. There's no reason for part of him to be - jealous - annoyed. 

She's the first long term lover he's had. It's normal for him to be affected in unexpected ways. He's fallen into habit. That's fine.

Kakashi knows how to break habits.

She gives Shisui a playful look.

“Then I wish them the best of luck with Itachi’s kunai talk.”

The opening is perfect. The genin can’t see his left leg beneath the table and no one outside is at the right angle either. Even should anyone pick up on what he’s about to do, it will only tell them he’s more annoyed than previously believed.

Kakashi silently but forcefully kicks Shisui’s shin. The wince that inspires in Shisui comes over as a natural response to her statement. Shisui is smart enough to strengthen the illusion further.

“Yeah... should probably warn her about that.”

Shisui shakes his head with a rueful smile and takes on a more defensive position under the guise of picking up his cup.

“He’s way too overprotective.”

“Good friends often are,” she says while giving him another curious once over.

Kakashi lets nothing slip when a flicker of recognition joins her curiosity but his mind starts racing because has she - no. No, this isn’t the recognition he - wants - fears. Can’t be.

It really can. They slept together for - eight months, three days and seven hours - over half a year. She knows his body in intimate detail. Might not be able to visualise him even if her life depended on it, but her senses are still picking up on the similarity.

Or she knows him by reputation. While the Dancing Dragon is located in a civilian neighbourhood, it’s seen an upswing in ninja clientele ever since the Uchiha heir started frequenting it, and it had a massive surge when she took in Naruto. She’s no longer the hot topic she was before, but the rumor mill still keeps tabs on her. And Kakashi is always a beloved topic of the rumor mill. She could have heard about him.

She would have focused more on the mask and Obito's eye if she had a clear story in mind. This is a recognition born from feeling.

She could have heard about him and forgotten about it. Even ninja do that. 

“Right, you haven’t been formally introduced yet,” Shisui says and even having known it was coming, Kakashi - needs - wants to be anywhere but here. But it’s either this or have Shisui reveal who he is in truth. “Mari-chan, meet Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi, meet Takahashi Mariko.”

Shisui is going to wish he’d never been born.

“Just Mari is fine,” she says, drawling out her name like always and still trying to figure out why he feels familiar.

He can’t speak up. He needs to remain silent. Yes, the voice he uses in public isn’t the same she knows, but it’s still too similar. The best way to keep her mind from connecting the dots is by making her place his public appearance into a completely different mental box. Such as a box labeled ‘mute’. Good thing him not saying anything won't arouse suspicion.

His lack of response inspires a flicker of humor. Not good. Humor might trigger a link.

Shisui is here. No matter what Kakashi does, she’s going to be entertained.

“Or not.”

“He’s just mad that I dragged him over,” Shisui says without bothering to hide how satisfied he is with a job well done. Kakashi is on the lookout for another opportunity to kick him. Shisui has his weak spots protected now, but Kakashi has already figured out a way to circumvent that. He just needs another opening.

Should he create one?

“Mad isn’t the word I’d use,” she says, still trying to figure out why he feels familiar. Despite knowing that it isn’t necessary, Kakashi thoroughly checks that his body language is slouched, mundane, and incredibly apathetic. Three things she’s never associated with him.

Shisui lets out a sigh of mock exasperation. Kakashi starts considering whether or not he can get away with a more forceful kick.

“Kakashi has the annoying tendency to act as though the world is the most boring place to be.”

"No offense, but the world is kind of the only word you can be."

_You're showing a surprising lack of creativity._

Kakashi ignores the automatic response that springs to mind. Their interaction is over and that - hurts - is exactly how things should be. 

She tilts her head, musing on something related to him.

"Is he deaf?"

Shisui laughs, genuinely entertained. Kakashi considers. No, that would be too forceful. But something else won’t be...

Kakashi unobtrusively starts moulding chakra.

“No, he isn’t deaf. Or mute. He's just being difficult because I’m making him socialize.”

He’s clearly been allowing Shisui to get away with too much. It should not have been accepted as normal for him to say that.

"He is being very sociable indeed."

_Not everyone enjoys chattering away._

Kakashi manages to push the response away when she shifts her balance. She's thinking about him again and is - hurt - incredibly annoyed by it.

To her relief, Shisui offers her a distraction.

“Isn’t he? I can’t remember the last time we - no, we managed a couple of months ago as well.”

“We?” she asks. Encouraging Shisui to put on a show as always.

As always, Shisui takes her up on it.

“Me and Itachi. We bribed him into getting lunch.”

Shisui shakes his head with mostly false amusement and sips his tea. He continues the show with a pensive expression. Kakashi has finished moulding his chakra. Now he only needs to wait for an opening. It won’t take long for Shisui to give him one.

“Now that I think about it, he kept silent then as well. Only said two things out loud, and one of them was _thanks for the meal_.”

Should hurry the opening along? No, too much risk of it coming over as unusual.

“Am I allowed to know the other thing?” she asks, already smiling from the response about to come.

“One beef,” Shisui delivers in a manner tailored to her sense of humor. She chuckles.

After giving him a final inspection, she puts aside the question of why he looks so familiar. Kakashi is relieved.

“So, feel like chatting?” she asks Shisui, really hoping the answer will be yes. Kakashi wishes there was a possibility of the answer being no. “Or do you want me to leave you to your company?”

“Don’t be silly, Mari-chan,” Shisui says with genuine affection. Chatting with her is the main reason Shisui comes here. 

Or rather, normally it’s the main reason. Right now his priority is to meddle into matters that don’t concern him. As he makes clear with a cheerful smile.

“The more the merrier. Who knows, with you here, Kakashi might even say three things out loud.”

“A truly ambitious goal,” she returns, so happy that Shisui wants her to stay. Kakashi is counting down. Shisui has at most twenty-three minutes left before this starts becoming suspicious, and he has eleven minutes left before Kakashi can start retaliating more often.

“I aim for the stars.”

He’s aiming for hell. Kakashi is going to personally escort him there.

She’s amused. She’s also respectful of his desire to avoid conversation.

“If the man doesn’t want to talk, I’m not going to force him to,” she says with a smile meant for strangers. That’s - painful - good. 

Her smile turns teasing when she looks back at Shisui. 

“Forcing people to do something against their will isn’t nice, Shisui.”

“Mari-chan, you don’t understand,” Shisui returns, and while he masks the gravity of his message by acting like this is all part of the show, the words are sincere. “Kakashi is acting like a child and I have no idea how to fix it.”

Finally, an opening. Next thing Shisui says will allow him to act out his plan.

As always, she’s entertained by the show Shisui is putting on. She also disagrees with the statement and informs everyone of this by giving his apathetic slouch a pointed look.

“This is acting like a child?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Shisui says with too much sincerity. Kakashi informs him that he’s going too far by kicking Shisui’s foot.

He informs Shisui of his - fury - anger by using the contact to send a burst of lightning chakra into Shisui’s system. It’s a negligible amount. Undirected, it would cause no more than a shock of static.

Kakashi directs it at Shisui’s sural nerve. He knows the attack has landed by the way Shisui shifts his balance. Turning the cramping of his calf into a natural movement. Shisui also stops a grimace from forming, though he doesn’t stop himself from giving him a quick glare. Informing everyone that Kakashi just did something significant. 

Given what Shisui just said, him retaliating is normal. Ten minutes and thirty-eight seconds left before he can do this without requiring an opening first. 

She grins, ever so entertained by Shisui. 

“I’ll take your word for it.”

While she’s in a better mood than before, it’s clear he - is hurting her - remains near to her thoughts. Kakashi wishes he could show his - pain - aggravation. This is ridiculous, there's no reason for her to feel like this. There’s no reason for _him_ to feel like this, and the fact he’s still feeling like this anyway is - terrifying - incredibly vexing.

It was just sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I wonder whether or not I'm overestimating the denial that Kakashi has going on, towards friends and romance both. Then I remember that nope, he really is Like That.
> 
> Also, I made Shisui go out on a date with a girl here, but my headcanon for him is that he's about as straight as a pretzel is. But he also grew up in a culture/clan that places Great Importance on reproduction, and he's 15 years old. He's still figuring out what he likes, and he's searching for it with girls because that's what he's been taught.


	10. The Beginning - Part 6

**_We have got to do that again._ **

She is more than up for a repeat. But does she want it for the right reasons?

Kakashi watches as she places breakfast down the table. She's actually humming a tune. 

She’s relaxed, in great spirits, and walking in a way that reveals why this is so to all. Well, it reveals it to all with training. 

Naruto watches her with suspicion. Kushina’s son is good at reading body language, though he isn’t great at consciously deciphering all he’s picking up on. And he’s never seen her like this. She’s managed to have two nights of fun since the failed first, but one, they didn’t make her reach heights like he had, and two, Naruto wasn’t woken by what she calls good screams. 

This is new and that confuses Naruto. It also scares him. Won’t take long for him to decide that her current mood is awesome, but for now, he’s being guided by the part that fears losing - everyone - his mother.

Minato’s son no longer fears it enough for most to pick up on it.

“Nee-chan, you’re being weird.”

She thinks he’s being adorable. And hilarious. Normally she wouldn’t react this strongly, but normally she hasn’t had a night like the one he gave. Her tastes in bed are more suited to a long term partner, meaning it’s rare for her to have her wants met so skillfully. What can he say, he aims to please.

She ruffles his hair and the easy affection soothes Minato’s son as always. Makes him believe she won’t leave.

“Am I?” she returns, ever so cheerful. Kakashi is on the lookout for any sign of emotional infatuation, but for now, it seems as though she’s merely basking in the physical.

Naruto’s suspicion is back in full force. This time it’s motivated by confusion only, though.

He looks just like Kushina.

“Yes you are! You’re smiling!”

“What’s so strange about that? The sun is shining, the birds are singing. What’s not to smile about?”

Naruto has no idea what caused this. You’d think he’d be used to that by now. 

Minato’s son watches her eat. She’s still humming a tune.

“...Mari-nee. You’re _humming_.”

Her smile turns into a grin and she hums louder just to mess with him some more. Give it a couple more minutes and Naruto will come to the conclusion that her having fun means great fun for him as well. Then he’ll ask why she’s so happy again. She’ll say something about sleeping really well. 

All of his predictions come true. When the two finish breakfast, Kakashi takes his leave. There was no sign of emotional infatuation, which is promising. He’ll pass by the Dancing Dragon later on, when her shift ends. Will let him see what her friends have figured out. Most likely they’ll suspect she slept with someone, but they won’t have confronted her about it yet. Even if they have, they won’t have figured out who her partner was. If there’s no repeat, this fact won’t change. With a repeat, and specifically, with multiple repeats and without outside interference, the odds of them figuring it out before he leaves are about... eighty-five percent. 

There’s going to be outside interference. But for now, he has training and catching up to do. He’ll have caught up on general news within three days, which is when the lack of action will really start getting to him. 

It would be nice to have a new way of working off some of his frustration.

* * *

When Kakashi returns, he discovers that her friends haven’t realised she slept with someone. Because something happened between Renji and Tori. There’s always been a romantic tension between the two, and judging from the way they’re acting now, the odds of them getting together in the near future are significant indeed.

She is, of course, blind to this. She knows the two are in a great mood but not what caused it. She won’t ask either. Or rather, she won’t push if they don’t want to tell. Which they don’t.

Rukia and Shiro, on the other hand, will push. A lot. This is great timing. If they focus on Renji and Tori, it will take little effort to ensure his expanded contact with Mariko remains undetected until he’s gone.

Kakashi follows her back to her home, observing her emotional state and musing on how to best take advantage of the distraction posed by her friends. When she starts going up the stairs, he slips inside and responds to her morning offer.

His reply is the first thing she looks for, eager and hopeful. The lack of response until now didn’t register as too unusual, courtesy of the big break in routine that was last night. Kakashi is going to take advantage of the redefining of parameters. He’ll leave the occasional note in the afternoon to keep up the illusion that he’s still surveiling her, but aside from that he’s only going to respond in the evening. As long as they keep sleeping together, she’ll assume the change is caused by him being less bored because of the newfound fun they’re having.

Of course, this plan is dependent on how she handles last night. As long as she keeps him in the box of booty call, and specifically, an insane booty call, they can keep doing this. Any increase in emotional involvement, however, and he’s gone.

Time to find out what it will be.

_I’m flattered. I thought you didn’t do repeat performances._

She grins, ever so amused. Still riding the hormonal benefits of last night. 

Kakashi is still riding them as well. He's significantly less frustrated than he was yesterday.

She writes down her thoughts exactly as they are.

**_That is correct, normally I don’t. Normally my brain doesn’t dribble out my ears either. Besides, you’re going to keep stalking me anyway, it would be a shame not to take advantage. I had fun, you had fun, why not keep having fun?_ **

Why not indeed? All signs point to her having classified their intimate interaction as an exceptional booty call. If he were to refuse the invitation, she’d be disappointed but accepting. She’d also expect him to keep conversing with her no differently than before.

If he accepts, she’ll expect the same. Sleeping with him was _great_ fun and changes exactly nothing about their relationship. Perfect.

Because he can’t afford to make a mistake about this, Kakashi waits until she realises he won’t be responding right away.

She accepts the delay with exceptional ease. Reasoning that it's normal for him to consider his answer with care. She might not like to think about his position, but she's aware it matters. 

She assumes this has nothing to do with his job, and that he'll only agree if he had as much fun as she did. These assumptions are correct. 

She's really hoping he's going to take her up on her offer. And she doesn't mind waiting if it increases the odds of getting what she wants.

He’s put her in an amazing mood. Kakashi is proud of that as always.

He likes leaving his lovers satisfied. Likes giving them pleasure. Not often he gets the chance to do that.

She settles down to write, feeling very creative indeed. Having gotten further confirmation that she thinks no differently of him than before, Kakashi takes off. 

He goes to headquarters to check on his team. He’s planning to call those available for a training session.

His plans change when he finds out that Cat has returned. Kakashi leaves headquarters, changes out of his uniform and goes shopping. Cat is off duty for the next three days, meaning the most likely place to find him is his home. When Kakashi goes there, a quick scan with Obito’s eye reveals that he's right.

He goes to the door and drops out of stealth. He's pleased when he doesn't need to knock for the door to open.

Tenzo watches him with dull eyes and a deliberate lack of reaction. Kakashi isn’t surprised. It’s been - too long - four months and thirteen days since they last saw each other. Even with Gai looking after Tenzo, Cat is slipping back into old habits.

Time to change that.

Kakashi gives Tenzo a cheerful smile and lifts the bag.

“I’m in the mood for cake.”

Tenzo gives the bag a forcefully blank look. Analysing the content and not allowing any of his thoughts to slip.

He gives Kakashi permission to enter by stepping aside, careful not to leave any openings in his stance. Kakashi goes inside, taking note of the changes to Tenzo’s home and acting like it’s been mere days since he was last here.

Tenzo's plants reveal a clear timeline. There are a significant number of new ones, most of which were created within a single week. The outburst happened roughly three months after their last meeting. After that, no new plants appeared. And for the past few weeks, Tenzo has been caring for his plants with training precision instead of with enjoyment.

Kakashi enters the kitchen and takes the ingredients out of the bag. Tenzo follows him in silence, still hiding his feelings. Kakashi casually throws the walnuts his way. Tenzo catches them.

“Crack those for me, will you?”

Tenzo looks at him long enough to reveal he’s struggling with the intensity of his feelings. Then he takes a seat at the counter and starts cracking walnuts. Kakashi is pleased when he does it one at a time instead of getting it over with as fast as possible.

Kakashi turns on the oven, sets some coffee and starts whipping up the base batter. He takes his time as well. Walnut and coffee cake is nice but this isn’t about the treat.

This is about reminding Tenzo that he’s allowed to relax when off duty. He’s allowed to feel things.

He’s allowed to be angry.

“...You were gone for a long time.”

Kakashi gives no reaction to the wrong tone of voice Tenzo uses. It isn’t wrong in the way it was when they first met, but it still can’t be called natural in any way.

“I was,” he says, calm and at ease. Telling Tenzo that he won’t be punished for expressing opinions.

Tenzo almost succeeds at hiding just how closely he’s examining him for any sign of the contrary. Kakashi throws up the hand mixer with a spin that serves no purpose beyond being fun, adds the coffee to the batter, catches the mixer and blends the two together with casual flourish.

Tenzo’s body language becomes a little less controlled. Kakashi - allows - makes himself give Tenzo a warm look. Rewarding him for lowering his guard.

“I came as soon as I could,” he says with open honesty. This time Tenzo’s suspicion is visible. Kakashi is pleased. A fact he makes no attempt to hide. This is all about putting Tenzo at ease after all.

“You could have come before,” Tenzo says and this time there’s a near accusation to his voice. It does wonders for making him sound more natural.

“In theory, I could have,” Kakashi says. Lying to Tenzo in a situation like this is counterproductive.

Kakashi braces himself for the question about to come.

“Why didn’t you?”

Kakashi makes himself show his discomfort. He truly does feel bad for avoiding Tenzo. For not spending even a single break with him.

He doesn’t regret it. Kakashi is well aware of his breaking points. He knew from the start of this assignment that it would be impossible to remain professional until the end. Knew he was going to fall into habit and analyse things too superficially. 

Avoiding Tenzo delayed that process until it became acceptable to slack off. 

“Because my judgement would have been compromised if we’d met,” he says, allowing himself to sound as awkward as he feels. He ensures Tenzo knows that the effect he has on his duties isn’t a bad thing by giving him a soft smile. “Being attached to someone is fine. You just have to account for it when doing your duties.”

As always, Kakashi - needs to run - is _incredibly_ uncomfortable with talking about this.

As always, his need to help Tenzo is greater.

Tenzo allows him to see that he’s debating whether or not to accept this as true. Kakashi is fairly certain he’s going to accept it. If not, it’ll mean Cat has slipped back further than anticipated. Not a true problem. Kakashi has a lot of experience with pulling Tenzo back from the edge.

Tenzo accepts it as truth. Kakashi is glad.

Tenzo, body language no longer so controlled, crumbles half of the walnuts into fine powder and breaks the rest into bigger pieces. Kakashi adds both to the batter, fills the cake form and places their creation into the oven. Then he takes a seat next to Tenzo and lifts his hand with clear intention.

Tenzo goes blank for the briefest of moments, before he deliberately loosens up and tilts his head with acceptance.

Kakashi gently ruffles his hair. At first, Tenzo doesn’t allow him to see how much he’s missed this. Then, with an open vulnerability that Kakashi is so proud to see, he tilts his head again. Asking for more touch. Kakashi obliges him with the same care he obliges his summons.

Tenzo still trusts him. The knowledge is soothing.

It also means he can directly remind Tenzo that it’s alright to be angry when off duty. After a few more moments of petting Tenzo’s lovely hair, Kakashi does just that.

“I’m mad at the Third.”

Cat snaps to attention, dislodging his hand and body language closing down once more. To show that this isn't a serious issue, Kakashi gives him an exaggerated look of disappointment. The disappointment is real, though. He wants to pet Tenzo some more. 

“Why are you mad at Lord Third?” Cat asks, though Tenzo is still there. Kakashi is glad.

He lets out a sigh and crosses his arms with open tension. Letting Tenzo see just how aggravated this whole thing has made him.

“I’m on a time out.”

Just saying the words out loud makes him want to scowl. Kakashi allows the expression to form for Tenzo’s sake.

“I’m on a time out for twelve more days,” he elaborates and the statement makes him scowl some more. Seriously, this is - infuriating - so stupid. He’s going to be twirling kunai for another two hundred and eighty-two hours. 

Tenzo feels a little better with the explanation. This is not the first time Kakashi has expressed displeasure over having nothing to do. But Tenzo remains ill at ease. Even on a good day, comrades merely being annoyed with the Hokage is not something Tenzo is comfortable with.

It’s the greatest evidence possible that it’s alright to be angry when off duty. That it’s alright to feel things.

Because of the resurgence in old habits, Tenzo isn’t yet ready to accept this fact as truth. So he focuses on Kakashi’s bad mood instead. This is acceptable.

Allowing himself to care for others is another thing Tenzo sometimes needs help with.

“...Do you want to spar?”

“Yes.”

His answer is immediate and full of relief. This whole thing might be about Tenzo, but it would be foolish not to improve his own state of mind at the same time.

They go to a restricted training field, one off limits to all but Captains and those they approve of. Allowing Tenzo to use his Wood Release freely. After checking their surroundings, they take up position. Kakashi lets Tenzo see how much he's looking forward to this.

“Let’s see if you’ve improved.”

With that, he replaces himself with a rock behind Tenzo and attacks low to the ground. Forcing Tenzo to jump instead of merely twisting out of the way. Tenzo's best techniques require direct contact with the earth.

Tenzo jumps while racing through seals. About to try to trap him with vines grown from his skin. Kakashi avoids with movements more complex necessary, and when Tenzo lands, he tries to put Tenzo in a choke hold. Tenzo manages to avoid him by the skin of his teeth.

This isn’t like sparring with Gai. Tenzo is good but Kakashi can get in a killing blow within thirty seconds even when being careful with his reserves. Tenzo can’t push him in the way Gai can.

Kakashi doesn’t want to be pushed by Tenzo.

Tenzo doesn’t want to be pushed by him either. Not in a spar like this. But part of him keeps expecting it to happen.

The part is a lot stronger than usual because of his long absence.

Let’s bring it back to normal levels.

When Tenzo casts a technique in a manner that leaves his flank open, Kakashi takes advantage by slipping through the gap, grabbing Tenzo’s wrist and making him lose his footing with a casual kick. Tenzo’s eyes are locked onto him and Cat is moving on instinct, gripped by involuntary fear.

Kakashi manipulates the movements to his liking and twirls Tenzo around like they’re doing a dance at court. It inspires a breath of laughter, startled humor overpowering the worst of Tenzo’s fear. Tenzo isn’t truly surprised by the action, personal spars between them are never serious. But no matter how often Kakashi does something like this, Tenzo keeps being caught off guard by it.

He keeps expecting to be hurt. Kakashi’s need to break that expectation is great indeed.

He lets go of Tenzo and Tenzo wastes no time in putting some space between them.

Tenzo’s lips are curved up in the shadow of a smile and his eyes are finally as bright as they should be. Kakashi is pleased.

Tenzo sends branches after him again. Kakashi is impressed by the speed with which they grow. Tenzo has indeed improved.

Instead of avoiding the branches, Kakashi races forward and uses the wood as launch points. He avoids the spikes Tenzo starts creating along the route he’s taking. Tenzo gives up on the branches and creates an earth wall to prevent Kakashi from engaging him in close combat. With most others, Kakashi would use the cover to take to the earth himself, but with Tenzo that would be a big mistake. The earth is Tenzo's territory.

Instead of going down, he goes up, preparing a wind technique as he does.

He holds the technique steady when he sees that Tenzo has disappeared. Twisting around, he searches for him. Without Obito’s eye, the odds of spotting Tenzo before Tenzo makes a move are low. Which is why Kakashi puts all his effort into it. Tenzo might not be able to push him as Gai can, but he offers great training in other ways.

Alas, he’s about to touch the ground and has yet to spot Tenzo. While it’s possible that Tenzo won’t have gotten to his landing spot in time, Kakashi isn’t counting on it. Which is why he lands in a manner that allows him to counter attacks from all angles.

As expected, Tenzo’s hands shoot out of the earth. Kakashi only manages to avoid one of them. Impressive.

With one ankle trapped, Tenzo will try to drag him into the earth. Kakashi avoids that by placing both hands on the ground, anchoring himself with chakra, something that requires significant effort because of Tenzo’s chakra already infusing the earth, before he uses the leverage provided to yank Tenzo out of the ground. It’s not something he could have done in a real fight, Tenzo would have snapped his ankle then. But this isn’t a real fight. 

This is fooling around. This is having fun. Which is why, after getting Tenzo to let go of his ankle by releasing the air bullet previously prepared, Kakashi swipes his hand over Tenzo’s hair with a burst of lightning chakra.

Tenzo’s hair turns into a bird’s nest, the normally straight strands now reaching for the sky. Kakashi grins. 

Tenzo’s smile is beautiful. Then, lightning quick, his cheeks bulge and Kakashi starts dodging on instinct despite knowing what’s about to happen.

Tenzo is quick enough to succeed anyway. He hits the side of his cheek with a stream of water. It wouldn’t count as even the most minor of distractions in a real fight.

It makes Kakashi smile so hard. He feels even better when Tenzo gains a fleeting grin, adorably pleased with himself.

They fool around a little while longer. By the end of it, Tenzo has relaxed in full. So has Kakashi. He’s still mad at the Third, but a little time off isn’t so bad. Emphasis on a little.

They return to Tenzo’s home in time for the cake to be ready. Kakashi summons Pakkun, Bull and Akino. They're Tenzo’s favorites.

They waste no time in leaping for Tenzo with wagging tails, and Bull licks Tenzo’s face enthusiastically. The soft laugh that inspires is lovely.

They enjoy the cake together. Kakashi watches with satisfaction as Tenzo moves towards his plants and feeds them chakra just because of how happy he feels.

His plants bloom with exceptional beauty. Tenzo's creations are never more vibrant than when he cares for them in a mood like this.

Tenzo has come a long way from the broken weapon Kakashi first met. He’s still a weapon and always will be, but he’s more than that as well. He’s allowing himself to be more. 

Funny how teaching Tenzo how to do that made Kakashi remember how to be more than a weapon as well.

* * *

When night falls, Kakashi goes back to her place. He’ll need to chat with her more often within a few days, but for now, this whole thing is new enough to let him get away with quite a bit.

There’s still no sign of emotional infatuation. Or any sign of annoyance at his lack of response for that matter. It's the last confirmation needed.

If he were to leave right now, she’d get over it without trouble. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but it would have no significant impact on her life.

He draws another silencing seal, grabs the novel he was reading last time from under her bed, and gets comfortable. When she grabs her night clothes and goes to the bathroom, Kakashi returns the novel to its original place and puts on Wolf’s mask.

Wolf disapproves. Kakashi ignores it with more ease than he did yesterday. 

Kakashi uses a henge to change his distinctive hair into something more mundane. Yesterday a disguise wasn’t necessary, the moonlight wasn’t strong enough for her to make out more than the basics. But if they’re going to be doing this more regularly, he needs to ensure she doesn’t fixate on his hair as a recognizable feature.

He doesn’t bother to use an illusion when she enters, merely keeps out of sight of both her and the window. Casually leaning against a wall, he waits until she finishes closing the curtains. Then he speaks.

“I can’t argue with that kind of logic.”

Once again, he doesn’t manage to reach the second syllable before she spins around with a scream. This will never stop being funny.

It takes her a moment before she manages to gather her wits. When she does, she glares. She doesn’t share his opinion on this being funny. How sad.

“You absolute bastard. Are you going to keep - black and straight hair."

She's finally processed the change. And is unimpressed by it.

“Really. Just because it was dark doesn’t mean I didn’t notice your hair was light and spiky. It’s a little late to try to hide that now.”

Part of her is genuinely considering the, in her opinion, too late disguise.

Most of her is busy examining again. The lights are still on, meaning she has a lot more to work with than last night. 

Her eyes linger on his chest plate and arm guards. Even with the deliberately u threatening stance, she's aware the armor isn’t just for show. Aware of the threat it represents.

Her eyes linger longest on his biceps and the skin revealed there. She’s aware of what he is and is attracted to him nonetheless. Not because of it, pure love of danger is not something Kakashi enjoys having aimed at himself. But this? Her acknowledging the danger but trusting him not to hurt her anyway? That trust allowing her to find this whole situation alluring instead of frightening? He enjoys that very much indeed.

“Because my hair couldn’t have been disguised yesterday?” he returns without hiding just how cute he finds her naivete to be. Sure, there are times it inspires incredulity and exasperation, but right now it doesn’t. Really, he goes through all this trouble to remain hidden, and she thinks he’s going to overlook something as obvious as his hair? Civilians.

Her wry smile reveals her thoughts to be a mirror of his own. Except instead of seeing civilian naivite, she's seeing ninja insanity. Far beyond the normal, even.

But then, he isn't a regular ninja. Kakashi is pleased. Her dismissing so many of his behaviors as general Anbu insanity is quite useful.

As always, she’s straightforward in sharing her opinion.

“You’re insane.”

“I also make your brain dribble out of your ears,” he quips back, not bothering to hide how pleased he is by that description. She has a gift for wit indeed.

“True,” she admits with shameless appreciation. The appreciation is followed by an exceptional amount of hope. “I’m willing to put up with a lot if you keep doing that.”

Translation, if he wants to keep his uniform on, she has no problem whatsoever with that. Either tonight or, as she so dearly hopes, for multiple nights to come. 

It's exactly what he'd hoped for.

Kakashi stops leaning against the wall and straightens with clear intent. It’s amazing how great an effect that has, her entire body responding with want and anticipation. Kakashi feels an answering rush of desire.

Their tastes in bed really are well suited.

“Then I better get to work.”

Kakashi only realises the flaw in the wording when he almost doesn’t manage to keep Wolf from slipping through. Of course this isn’t work, he’s well aware of that. This is personal fun. And yes, it's a wrong kind of fun, but he knows that and is doing it anyway.

The sultry smile she gives and the way she starts toying with her clothes demonstrates that he made the wrong choice for the right reasons. It also helps him gets him in just the right state of mind. When he moves, it’s all him. 

Time to fool around in a different way than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tenzo was so much fun to write. He is precious and must be protected at all cost. Also, look! Kakashi isn't *completely* hopeless at friendship/relationships! There is hope!!!


	11. The Middle - Part 4

When Kakashi leaves his place the morning after Shisui trapping him with her, he discovers that one of the worst case scenarios have come to pass. After arriving at an unoccupied training field, Itachi drops out of stealth.

Itachi intends to interfere as well. It isn’t a true surprise but Kakashi is still angry.

Weasel is overstepping boundaries. 

Kakashi gives his subordinate a cold look. Warning him to back off.

Itachi spins an illusion without the use of his eyes. Wanting to talk privately. Unlike with Shisui, Kakashi allows it. Will let him act as he pleases.

“I’m prepared to carry the consequences,” Itachi says. He actually means it, too. Clearly, Kakashi has been allowing him to get away with too much.

That ends now.

He addresses Weasel as Wolf.

“Leave.”

Kakashi takes satisfaction in the unease Itachi quickly tries to hide. Weasel is well aware of how out of line he is.

“No.”

That brat still has the nerve to try to blackmail him. Kakashi gives a cold glare. He might have taken satisfaction in Itachi’s response if it weren’t for one important thing.

The blackmail will work. If he has to choose between Itachi and Shisui forcing him in the same room as her, or having her openly search for him by name, he’ll choose the former.

He won’t choose it without exploring all other options first. 

Kakashi moves towards the Uchiha heir, body coiled to attack. It makes Weasel take on a more defensive stance on instinct. Intellectually Itachi might know his Captain won’t hurt him, but that’s hard to believe when Wolf is targeting him like this.

Itachi purposely doesn’t turn around to keep him within sight when Kakashi circles him. Telling him he won’t change his mind about this. Kakashi halts behind his back and delivers his counterattack in a light tone. A sharp contrast to the faint killing intent he’s sending out.

“People will talk.”

“I’m aware,” Itachi says with deliberate calm. The message isn’t surprising yet it still lands hard.

_I trust you won’t use this against me._

Itachi shouldn’t trust him.

Weasel is their teammate. Wolf protects teammates.

Kakashi fails them. 

“You’re putting your clan at risk,” Kakashi says as lethally as before. Letting nothing of his thoughts slip.

“I’m helping them.”

It’s true, Kakashi of the Sharingan openly being seen with the Uchiha heir will send a powerful message. But it will only help the Uchiha if the two of them are seen acting friendly with one another.

The Uchiha are growing more and more discontent. A result of getting orchestrated by the rest of the village. It started after the Kyuubi attack, when people needed someone to blame and the Uchiha were a convenient scapegoat. The Uchiha accepted it because they expected the resentment to fade.

It didn’t. It lowered, but it never faded as it should. And for the past two years, it’s begun rising again.

The rise means one of two things. Either public sentiment is being turned against the Uchiha on purpose, or the Third is purposely keeping his hands off the situation because he assumes it will resolve itself. Both hold dangerous implications.

The part of him that is Wolf doesn’t allow him to consider those things too deeply. Wolf obeys Hokage-sama. Wolf does not question.

Kakashi remains focused on the issue at hand. He has no intention of being friendly when Itachi is acting like a brat. 

“This won’t help.”

He ignores the hurt Itachi tries to hide. Wolf is not in charge of relations with the Uchiha and Kakashi has no intention of getting involved. He keeps up to date on village politics, but unless ordered to, he doesn’t meddle in them. Ever since meeting Tenzo, he’s had trouble keeping duty and personal separate.

“I told Father you’d cooperate.”

All compassion is gone in an instant, replaced by fury and betrayal. Kakashi realises his killing intent has grown too strong when Itachi fails to keep his hands from twitching for his weapons.

Kakashi cuts off the killing intent, unable to keep it from carrying in his current state of mind. He does not want to draw attention to this conversation. 

He wants to hurt Itachi. Part of him is aware of how wrong that desire is but right now Kakashi doesn’t care. Itachi isn’t just blackmailing him to be seen by Mariko, he’s blackmailing him into playing politics. 

If Kakashi doesn’t cooperate, if he proves to Fugaku that his heir doesn’t hold as much support as believed, the Uchiha will pull back even more. The village will be destabilized to dangerous levels. The part of him that is Wolf can’t ignore that. Which is exactly why Itachi did this.

Kakashi is furious.

Weasel is afraid. Itachi told himself this would work out when coming up with the plan, but when faced with his rage, that belief wavers hard.

He can shatter Itachi’s trust in him. Can hit all his weak spots, can be cruel in a way only personal knowledge allows for. He can ensure Weasel will _never_ do something like this again.

Only the part of him that is Wolf stops him from doing something he’d later regret.

“One o’clock, the Tower,” he says in a glacial voice and flickers away before Itachi can respond. He enters stealth and waits to see if Itachi follows. He knows Weasel won’t do that but part of him wishes to be proven wrong.

If Itachi follows, not even Wolf will be able to stop him from lashing out.

Itachi doesn’t follow. It causes his anger to grow.

Kakashi puts on Wolf’s mask, and while it helps him think about this matter more sensibly, it does nothing to calm him down. Because he’s grown too used to being himself even when in mask through Mariko.

Thinking of her makes his turmoil even worse.

Gai isn’t in the village. He can’t spar with him.

Kakashi goes to headquarters, checks which fields and team members are available, before marking a field as occupied and racing towards it. He summons those on standby.

Weasel is wise enough not to show up. Bear and Jackal appear instead. Both salute him on arrival.

“You against me, four hour recovery,” he says and attacks blade first before they can even think of signaling a confirmation. Bear manages to use his arm guards to deflect the blade but he isn’t fast enough to keep himself from getting kicked in the ribs. A move possible because Jackal leaped out of the way of Kakashi’s initial kick, meaning he could redirect it towards Bear. Then he has to dodge shuriken thrown by Jackal, allowing Bear recover his balance and start casting an illusion. Wolf analyses.

Kakashi rages. What he wouldn’t give to be able to go all out.

Even without being able to go all out, the spar helps take off the edge. After finishing, Kakashi tells Bear and Jackal what they need to work on before dismissing them. 

Jackal curses him out as always. In their current state of mind, the lack of professionalism grates in the worst of ways. 

After the two have left, Kakashi starts up a solitary training routine. It’s a slow one, focused on control instead of techniques. He needs to be mission ready tomorrow.

The training is occupying enough to keep his anger from returning. As Kakashi focuses on manipulating his body and chakra flow, he thinks over what happened with Itachi.

It was a betrayal, plain and simple. Wolf made their lack of involvement clear from the start and Kakashi enforced it. Hell, one of the reasons the Uchiha heir was placed on his team is because it took him away from internal politics. 

The worst part is that the betrayal wasn’t necessary. Kakashi of the Sharingan being seen with the Uchiha heir will always be interpreted as a deliberate message. Kakashi would have accounted for that while being trapped with her. He would have made it beneficial to the Uchiha. Itachi should have known that.

Itachi did know. He just let his need for reassurance rule him.

He’s going to recommend Itachi for promotion to Captain. It’s something that was coming either way, the Uchiha heir’s placement in his team was always going to be temporary. Itachi has learned most of what he needs to as well. Without Kakashi taking the first step, Weasel would remain on his team for another four months, half a year at the absolute most.

With the recommendation, Weasel will be promoted within two months. Kakashi could make it so Itachi is gone within three weeks but Wolf refuses to let him endanger a teammate like that. Wolf will test Weasel thoroughly to confirm that he’s truly ready to be a Captain. The petty part of Kakashi takes vicious satisfaction in the ordeals he’s about to inflict on that meddlesome brat. Itachi wants to earn his regard? Fine, he’ll give him tests tailored to that exact purpose.

Itachi is not off to a good start. He broke trust with a direct superior who wields a significant amount of influence. Not how the Uchiha heir should act if he wants his clan to be seen in a better light.

Wolf will not recommend Weasel for captaincy unless Weasel learns from his mistakes. Kakashi is going to make this as painful as Wolf allows. Cruel? Yes. Does he care? No. 

Itachi won’t drag him to the Dancing Dragon today, always being seen in the same place would signal that there’s a reason for it. If the general rumor mill figures out he used to sleep with the jinchuuriki’s guardian, the threat of her learning his name becomes void. 

If Itachi hadn’t done this on purpose, Kakashi might have seen the bright side to him being the Uchiha heir. While it allows Itachi to trap him with her far more often than he’s comfortable with, it also provides a reason significant enough to keep from looking for more. In fact, had Itachi not forced his hand, Kakashi would have approached this from a political angle first and foremost. It's the best way to keep people in the dark about what he's really trying to hide.

Now, he's going to make Itachi work to make this be seen in a benifical light. He won't go too far, Wolf won't allow him to bring harm to the village and Kakashi still doesn't want people to figure out he used to sleep with the jinchuuriki's guardian. But this won't be easy for Itachi. Or for Shisui for that matter.

Kakashi ignores the part of him that points out that he's being unfair to them both. They’re the ones who dragged him into this. If they’d just minded their own business, Kakashi would not be acting like this. He was already in a bad mood, losing a steady physical outlet will do that. Having them trap him in the same room with her made it worse. Purposely dragging him into internal politics on top of that? Kakashi is going to make them suffer.

He ignores the part of him that points out it’s easier to be angry with Itachi and Shisui than it is to miss her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bitch to write, it really was. Still not fully satisfied with it tbh, but it's good enough, and I'm ready to get back to the fluff parts. But first, we needed to introduce the final player. Namely, Itachi. You know, for a guy who claims to have no friends, Kakashi sure has a lot of them.
> 
> Next up, a great deal of fluff! Which I will be posting a week from now. My free time has lessened drastically, so my writing is slowing down as well.


	12. The Beginning - Part 7

Kakashi summons his team. Four answer his call. All salute him on arrival.

“Captain,” Toad greets, polite and professional.

“Been awhile,” Mouse says, light and casual. 

The two are relaxed and not hiding their curiosity. They know a lot of his time was assigned to the jinchuuriki's guardian, but they don’t know his post was permanent. Kakashi occasionally let signs slip of who was guarding her, and he occasionally pretended someone else had taken over his post. Creating false openings for someone to take advantage of.

No one took advantage of it. It’s almost a shame. Wouldn’t have been so bored if someone would have just been stupid enough to go after the new political power.

“Teamwork session,” Kakashi says as Wolf. It isn’t necessary, the call he used was a non-priority one for those on standby. Combine that with the location and equipment he's carrying, and his intentions are clear. 

The annoyance Toad and Mouse show is exactly why he stated the obvious. The best ninja are curious by nature, and his entire team is among the best.

Cat, professional as ever, lets nothing slip of his thoughts. Tenzo is present but Cat is in control. Tenzo feels no need to figure out how to remain dominant when putting on Cat’s mask. Wolf approves. Kakashi doesn’t. He understands that this is easier for Tenzo, but Tenzo needs to learn how to act on his opinions even when on duty.

He doesn’t need to learn right now. Right now, they're doing teamwork.

Or rather, they will as soon as their last available member arrives. 

Weasel arrives. To no surprise, he notices the signs Kakashi left out. A fact he informs all of by aiming his mask at the forest boundary. Kakashi opens Obito's eye for a blink to confirm that Weasel noticed without using his bloodline.

He did.

Toad and Mouse go on alert. Cat, who has more information at his disposal than they do, was already positioned to best examine the area without making obvious that’s what he was doing.

Weasel gives a respectful salute.

“Captain. I see you’re on a holiday.”

Toad and Mouse make an instinctive attempt to hide their reaction. Kakashi would have smiled if he weren't going for a certain air. Weasel has a great sense of humor.

“I am,” Kakashi says, still addressing them as their Captain. Both because wearing his mask brings out Wolf even when off duty and because Kakashi is trying to elicit a specific response. “I intend to take advantage of it.”

Kakashi gets the response he wants. Toad gives up on hiding his feelings and lets out a soft curse, more apprehensive than excited. Mouse is the opposite. Deliberately so. Mouse knows he won’t feel like this by the end, so he’s going to enjoy it to the fullest now. Mouse likes to see the bright side to things.

“Us against you?” Mouse asks.

“You against me,” Kakashi confirms. Wolf needs to assess their skills.

Kakashi needs to hunt.

Toad and Mouse examine the area more thoroughly than before. Kakashi left slight but noticeable traces of the area being tampered with to a significant degree, and he’s disappointed though not surprised that Weasel is the only one who picked up on it. Without an advantage in intel, that is.

Now that the others know, they spot the signs as well. They also realise Cat was already aware of his time out.

“No limits,” Kakashi says, drawing attention back to himself. He waits a moment to see if anyone backs out. After this, they won’t be mission ready for at least three days. 

No one has conflicting duties. Perfect.

“I have a five second headstart. Go.”

He runs into the forest and hides from their senses, all his focus on remaining undetected as he circles back. Given how much stealth training the past months provided, all four would have to have improved immensely in order to catch him.

After getting into position, Kakashi opens Obito’s eye.

As expected, Weasel has taken up command. In general, Weasel doesn't enjoy leading, though he won't avoid it when necessary.

In this case, Weasel is eager to lead. He's glad that of the members here, he's the most suited to the task. Keeping his feelings well hidden, though. Would have only known through personal knowledge if it weren't for Obito's eye.

Weasel signals what roles each will take on, careful to keep the meaning hidden even from Obito’s sight. The care is to keep from fostering bad habits. In this situation, the sight would have merely confirmed what Kakashi already knows.

Cat, tasked with finding him, examines the area with great care, chakra flowing through the earth. Kakashi hopes that Cat will find him. Cat can’t spot him directly, the barrier around the tree he’s in makes sure of that. But will he sense that there's something out of the ordinary about this tree?

Cat senses nothing out of the ordinary. Too bad. 

Kakashi closes Obito’s eye. Have to watch his reserves. They weren't full to begin with, and this exercise is going to be a long one indeed.

His team approaches the forest. Weasel leads, the most skilled at spotting man made patterns. Cat is at the rear, relaying additional information about the terrain but primarily focused on searching for his presence. Toad and Mouse guard their blindspots, prepared for offensive and defensive both. 

Kakashi follows at a distance, carefully avoiding detection. Cat and Weasel almost notice him a few times but Wolf avoids being spotted.

Weasel leads his team around several hot spots.

Weasel doesn’t catch everything. He’s already led the others through three kill zones. Once was without calculating the risk first.

When Weasel decides to risk a zone that Kakashi is particularly proud of, Kakashi activates a chain link reaction.

Wolf analyses the response. Mouse was in the most disadvantageous position, but Weasel uses his eyes to tap him in time. Mouse jumps without a loss of balance as the earth falls away.

Mouse’s first instinct when invaded by Weasel’s chakra is still to evade, not to attack. Wolf is pleased. So is Kakashi. 

They observe how their team handles the follow up projectiles meant to separate them. All four counter in a manner that will get them back in formation. Initial response implies that team cohesion has not diminished in their absence. They are very pleased. 

After the chain reaction ends, the four try to get him to reveal himself, aware he’s here. They’re careful not to drive him away, reasoning that with the chain reaction out of the way, this area has become relatively safe. 

Kakashi proves their conclusion wrong by activating a second chain link reaction. It’s much simpler than the first, but the mental impact is great indeed. This is why he’s so proud of this zone.

While they're disorientated by flash bombs, Kakashi darts out of cover, attacks Toad from behind and gets in a killing blow, before he uses the distraction posed by the follow up trap to disappear from their senses again. Wolf analyses the response.

Kakashi feels alive.

He manages to lead them into two more zones, and emphasises how outclassed they are by getting in killing blows to the other three. 

Weasel decides to change tactics and orders Cat alter the immediate terrain. Kakashi briefly opens Obito's eye.

What he sees confirms his suspicions. In a real fight, this would have been a bluff. Weasel would have used his rapid departure to enact a change in strategy. But this isn't real combat, and Weasel isn’t treating it like real training either. Wolf disapproves. Kakashi doesn't. And since he's on a time out, Kakashi's approval wins out.

Cat doesn’t argue against the plan. No longer feels it right to express his opinion to a superior even in a situation like this. Tenzo is still at ease, though.

Toad and Mouse offer no alternatives either. Already rattled enough to not see the harm in trying. There's a reason Weasel is in charge.

Weasel should not have been in charge. 

Kakashi quickly gets out of the blast zone. The earth shifts. Wolf prepares.

The demolition charges go off. Not a lethal amount of course, but enough to cause a potentially spar ending injury.

His team gets through without major injury. Wolf is pleased and Kakashi is proud.

He manages to lure them into another hot zone. Then he's forced to go on the defensive when, in avoiding being caught by one of Cat's techniques, he fails to avoid Weasel's sight. Weasel engages him and the others immediately take advantage of him being too preoccupied to remain hidden. The fight is hard and brutal, and they get in three killing blows.

Kakashi gets in six. 

This isn’t the same as fighting against an enemy. All of them are holding back, all of them are pulling their blows. 

None of them risk death. It lets Kakashi enjoy the rush of battle to the fullest. Lets him appreciate his team to the fullest as well. Sure, Mouse still leaves his flank open too often, Toad still fails to take into account the cumulative effect of minor injuries, Cat still attacks in a too straightforward manner, and Weasel still doesn’t take full advantage of his small stature. But they cover each other’s weaknesses and take advantage of each other’s strengths.

If he hadn’t prepared the terrain beforehand, the four would beat him. It would take effort to do it without him getting in at least one killing blow, but they’d mananage.

Unfortunately for them, dawn saw him setting up the field. Unless he gets sloppy, they don’t stand a chance.

He doesn’t get sloppy. Oh, there are a few close calls, but by the end of it, Kakashi has gotten in twenty-four killing blows, while they’ve only managed thirteen in return.

Normally Wolf provides challenges with better odds at success.

Normally Kakashi isn’t on a two week time out.

When the session ends, his team is exhausted and in need of medical attention. Toad and Mouse are the only ones incapable of providing it for themselves. They're also the most drained from constantly expecting to be blindsided. Cat is tired from that as well but but Weasel isn't. The opposite, Weasel is invigorated.

Team cohesion didn't improve. But it remained stable. That's a victory. 

“Well done,” Kakashi says with open pride. All of them met his expectations, and most of Wolf's as well. 

Toad, carefully keeping his weight off his fractured ankle, flips him off like part of him isn’t incredibly proud of the praise. Mouse, supporting bruised ribs, lets out a sincere sound of victory but is mostly considering whether he can get away with lying in bed for the rest of the day. Cat and Weasel, each for different reasons, respond to the praise with professional acknowledgement.

All of them are standing in a way that taxes their injuries the least. Kakashi is no different. His sprained shoulder and bruised kidneys are the worst, but he has injuries beyond that. Aside from the direct damage, his head is pounding, his muscles are burning, his lungs are struggling, the little chakra he has left is grating, and Obito’s eye is on fire.

He feels great.

Kakashi tells them what they need to work on. He focuses on the main flaws, the ones Wolf will test them on next time. But he gives pointers beyond that. 

Toad and Mouse are not amused when he calls Weasel out on the deliberate risks he took.

“Cat, remain. The rest, dismissed,” Kakashi orders as Wolf. Weasel signals a farewell and pretends to flicker away. Toad and Mouse remain. Needing a moment to prepare for the strain of a body flicker. Unlike him, they don’t enjoy the feeling that comes from pushing yourself after already hitting your limits.

They get ready to leave. Mouse uses body language to convey a sincere smile.

“Good to have you back, Captain.”

Toad tilts his mask with agreement. The two flicker away with noticeable effort.

Kakashi turns his mask to where Weasel is hiding. Weasel drops out of stealth and silently asks what gave him away. Kakashi tilts his head at the grass around his feet. Body fickers cause a distinctive air disturbance, both on departure and on arrival. Weasel managed to mask that his body flicker was an aborted one for the most part, an achievement all the more impressive for the state he's in, but when he halted, some grass still moved unnaturally. Combine that with Kakashi being on the lookout for signs of him remaining behind and Weasel’s action was obvious.

Weasel, wanting to prove his maturity after being called out on taking the training too lightly, doesn’t react to the explanation. Neither does he come closer. Waiting for his Captain to signal that it’s alright to spend personal time with him.

Kakashi signals that it’s alright by lifting Wolf’s mask so it rests on his hair. Weasel does the same with noticeable speed. 

Itachi is cute.

“Do you have enough left to restore the field?” Kakashi asks Cat. Cat used a lot of chakra during training but Tenzo’s reserves are enormous. 

Cat signals confirmation. 

“Have fun while you’re at it,” Kakashi says. This time it takes a brief moment before Cat signals confirmation. Tenzo’s feelings showing. Only possible because Kakashi is no longer addressing him as Wolf.

Tenzo doesn't take off Cat's mask. Not comfortable with that after his long absence. Give it two more sessions and Tenzo will mostly be back to normal.

Kakashi informs Cat what areas are safe to begin with, before he goes to disarm the remaining demolition charges. 

Itachi follows.

“How do you stop it?”

As expected, the question is unusually eager.

“Take advantage of the existing air currents,” Kakashi responds. If Itachi had halted in the middle of a breeze and used some careful manipulation, he could have made the movement of the grass seem natural. “Or adjust your illusion.” More difficult, though. The illusion already in use was complex even for Itachi. Adding another layer could easily send the whole thing crashing down.

Itachi nods, mind racing as always. Then Kakashi halts and Itachi's eyes dart to the hidden trigger seal before flickering along the connections. Able to make them out in full now that he has a solid starting point. From there, he starts deducing how many charges there are.

“Three?”

“Four,” Kakashi returns, amused at how excited the Uchiha heir is acting. Most wouldn’t pick up on it, Itachi’s smile is faint, his body language is relaxed in a composed manner, his hands are at his sides, and he shows no need to move beyond the occasional shift in balance.

His eyes are bright as they only are when facing an intellectual challenge. 

Itachi looks for the pieces missed. Kakashi started with the most complex area he could. Can’t start with the most complex in the field, that would inconvenience Cat. But within the areas he could, he picked the most complex.

Itachi manages to spot the final layer. When Itachi glances at him for confirmation, Kakashi tilts his head. 

Itachi is adorably pleased with himself. 

Itachi keeps questioning him, darting from one topic to the next. He’s acting like a puppy. It’s cute.

Itachi has missed him. Not because they’re anything beyond superior and subordinate, but because Kakashi is one of the few who can keep up with him.

Kakashi remembers how frustrating it was to talk to people at Itachi’s age. It isn’t anymore, he’s come to terms with the fact that people will always feel slow to him. Even if they can keep up in one aspect, they can’t keep up in all. 

Itachi doesn’t mind that as much as he did at that age. But it’s still frustrating. It’s hard.

Talking to another prodigy is easy.

This is why Kakashi allows Itachi to spend time with him as he doesn’t with the others. He still keeps clear boundaries, this is a work relationship only. But he can give his fellow prodigy a small but significant release just by understanding him when he thinks out loud. And really, it’s not like this is a hardship. Ignoring the well of intel, Kakashi enjoys these conversations. Itachi isn’t on his level yet, that will require about three more years of experience.

These talks are still stimulating as few are. 

“You’re in a remarkably good mood.”

Kakashi silently asks Itachi how he came to that conclusion. Itachi shouldn’t have picked up on the fact that he’s found a new release. All behavior displayed until now is nothing Itachi hasn’t seen before.

Itachi confirms that it was a subconscious deduction by responding with curiosity of his own. He’s accounted for the long absence and this being the start of his time out, and part of him still concluded that he’s missing something. Itachi has good instincts.

Itachi is one of the few he never doubted would learn about him and Mariko. He’s a prodigy who has unique access to them both. 

Kakashi has no intention of discussing this with him.

“Not remarkable,” he says. Telling Weasel this topic is off limits. Itachi doesn’t truly forget where they stand, but when he’s in a mood like this, he pushes boundaries with a certain regularity. He's rambling in a, for him, thoughtless manner.

Kakashi lets him push because Weasel always backs down when called out. Itachi won't go searching for answers.

He will, however, be on the lookout for them. And because of his relationship to Mariko, he'll spot them. If only there was a way to keep this from him that didn’t involve treason. 

Fortunately, Itachi is both professional and discrete. It’s one of the reasons Kakashi didn’t consider it a deal breaker that the Uchiha heir would know.

Itachi makes another leap in topic.

“Cloud is interested in the Hyouka Mountains.”

Not good. Relations between the Leaf and Sand are strained, and Cloud using that to their advantage is something they really don’t need.

They can turn this to their advantage instead. What strategy to use depends on several things. The most important of which is this.

“Does Stone know?”

“Uncertain,” Itachi says without hiding just how happy he is that Kakashi brought up Stone instead of first needing to focus on Sand. The answer also reveals that Cloud being interested in those mountains only became known three weeks ago at the earliest. This is either already a mission in progress, or the Third is still considering who to send.

The idea of the Third considering who to send while he's twirling kunai is grating even after the release he just had. Fortunately, the focus required to both disarm the field and listen to Itachi keeps him from dwelling on his anger.

He and Weasel might not be - friends - close, but Kakashi has missed these conversations as well. He learns more from casually talking to Itachi than when he’s out deliberately gathering intel.

After everything has been disarmed, Kakashi dismisses Itachi in earnest. Weasel leaves and Wolf inspects Cat’s work. Kakashi compliments Tenzo on the hidden flourishes he added.

Cat is the picture of professionalism right until he’s dismissed. Then Cat leaves with a pointed lack of respect. Tenzo letting him know he’s still mad at him for not visiting sooner. Kakashi is proud.

He’ll drop by Tenzo’s home again tomorrow. Tenzo would be overwhelmed if he follows now. 

For now, he's going to shower and follow up on some of the things Itachi shared. He’ll drop by Mariko’s in between. And tomorrow, he'll give her friends a nudge.

He’s going to remain - functional - in a good mood for another day at worst, four at best. 

Best take advantage of it while he still can.

* * *

Tori laughs.

“It was an accident, of course,” Kakashi demurs with an embarrassed smile and underlying satisfaction. His face is altered through a combination of makeup and chakra, and his scar and Obito's eye are hidden further with a quality wig. His footing is stable, his balance is a little off, his shoulders are held with self awareness, and his hands move with the grace of a desk ninja.

“But of course,” Tori returns, still showing exceptional humor. “This could have happened to anyone, Kouga-san.”

“Perhaps not anyone,” he says slyly before using chakra to make his cheeks flush as though embarrassed to have said that. He sips his tea, flustered in a way that says this kind of behavior happens regularly. 

Tori giggles again. He tailored this act to suit her tastes but she’s still exceptionally entertained. Still riding the high of whatever happened with her and Renji. They didn’t get together, but Tori has begun to believe it’s only a matter of time until that happens.

She isn’t wrong. Admittedly, this could take a very bad turn as well. Renji has gotten over the loss of his wife and child for the most part, but the scars will never disappear in full. This could trigger him.

If it does, it will still provide an excellent distraction from him and Mariko. But Kakashi isn't heartless. He’d prefer a happy ending that didn’t involve them hurting each other first. Can’t really guide that along, though. Not without spending more time with them than he'd ever want to.

If this goes wrong before he crashes, he'll see if he can nudge. As he's now nudging Rukia towards the shiny distraction that is her brother and friend. He’s dressed in an outfit that appeals to her tastes, meaning she’s keeping a certain amount of attention on him even while talking to Renji. When there’s a lull in the conversation between them, Kakashi smoothly asks Tori a question.

“Are you always this cheerful, Tori-san?”

Rukia’s eyes dart towards them, showing she heard. The way her gaze lingers on Tori says that no, Tori is not always this cheerful. Renji tenses as he realises his sister is on to them before quickly trying to pretend that nothing unusual is going on. He succeeds in hiding his response from Rukia. For now.

Tori smiles and strikes a pose. Part of it is a show put on for the new ninja customer but mostly it's genuine.

“It’s one of my best qualities.”

Kakashi chuckles, using chakra to distort his voice. The advantage of her friends working in the service industry is that he always has a great in when something requires direct intervention. Might be overkill in this case, but better safe than sorry.

Later, after Naruto’s bedtime has passed, he goes to her home. Yesterday, he talked to her in the afternoon. Judging from what he sees when he arrives, it’s fine that he didn’t do so today. 

Kakashi wonders how her day went. He stopped by the Dancing Dragon after she’d already gone to pick up Naruto. Today was one of the days where she didn’t return to work after. 

Judging from her and Naruto’s shoes, freshly cleaned, and the way her back is aching a fair amount, they played at the park. 

Kakashi casts an illusion and slips inside.

_Do you think the bath wars will ever end?_

She perks up when she sees the note. She’s in the mood to chat, but she’s also very much looking forward to the end already. Kakashi feels the same way.

**_I hope so. The brat is cute but I could really do without his allergy to bathing._ **

_But an allergy to vegetables is fine?_

Minato’s son has a habit of loving everything about his meals one day and hating all vegetables the next. It’s born from the way he looks at his meals. Sometimes Naruto sees the dish as a single whole, and sometimes they’re individual pieces put together. Kakashi can usually predict what view it will be before she finishes cooking, but on this matter, Minato’s son has a habit of surprising him. Children can change their minds in the blink of an eye. 

**_Seeing as he finishes them with a minimal mess, yes it is._ **

He doesn’t finish them with a minimal fuss, though. A fact Kakashi helpfully points out. She counters with her usual wit.

They banter awhile longer, both of them enjoying the tension that simmers higher the longer this goes on. 

She’s more impatient than he is. She's preparing to wrap this up. 

She has something she wants to tell him first. Half expected him to mention it, meaning that whatever happened was significant. Most likely, it involved Naruto. If not that, it should involve Tori and Renji. 

Halfway through her reply, it seems as though her news involves neither. It involves her stories instead. Kakashi’s curiosity is roused. 

**_It turns out that my fanbase includes two adorable Uchihas instead of one._ **

She’s finally figured out who Naruto’s bastard is. Or rather, she was deliberately informed about his identity. Her mentioning Itachi makes that clear.

If she met with Itachi, Itachi will have figured out that the two of them are sleeping together. Weasel better not tell Crow.

On a lighter note, Itachi’s little brother being a fan of her novels could have some interesting consequences. The rivalry between him and Naruto could easily turn to friendship. All it needs is an opening. This provides just that.

Curiosity sated, Kakashi moves things along.

_Should I be jealous?_

The smile she gains tells him she’s ready to get started as well.

**_Very._ **

_Here I thought no one could ever replace me in your heart._

**_Sometimes I wonder why I keep putting up with you._ **

Kakashi does a final check for patrols and observers before slipping inside and taking up position. He drops out of stealth, casts a henge on his hair, and leans against the wall in a way she’ll appreciate.

“Allow me to remind you.”

This time she merely yells instead of screams, gracelessly twisting around on the couch to face him. Still so funny.

Her yell doesn't wake Naruto. Good.

She responds to his appearance with a half hearted glare and whole hearted invitation. Her annoyance is real, but in this situation, that only makes her want to get started even more.

“This isn’t helping your case,” she says like she isn’t ready to get naked. Her eyes linger on his ANBU seal and her lips part slightly. Wanting to trace the lines with her tongue. Kakashi is not opposed to this.

“Does that mean you don’t want me to remind you?” he asks with mock innocence.

“It means you’re going to need to step up your game,” she says with a grin and an alluring stretch. Putting herself on display just for him. Kakashi straightens with intent and revels in the response that still inspires.

“I’ll do my best to impress.”

Later that night, he can safely say that his best has impressed her very much indeed.

* * *

The next day, he dons another disguise and passes through the restaurant area near the Tower. There’s about a thirty percent chance of Itachi openly being here. If he’s hidden or absent, it's no loss. Kakashi is here for information foremost.

He’s in luck. Itachi is eating dango in a stand near the Academy. Kakashi enters and takes a seat within Itachi’s sight. He orders a savory treat and shows no signs of purposely being here for the Uchiha heir.

Like most business around the Tower, this one is run by a clan. Specifically, it's run by the Handa clan. A minor power known for their talent in music. Those that work in the field are usually information gatherers. 

Those that work in the village are known to be flighty. A reputation deliberately crafted.

You can tell a lot about someone from how they treat their public image.

Kakashi keeps track of his surroundings and pays the most attention to the jounin and police. People are aware of him in turn but no one is showing signs of particular interest.

Information gathering is both similar and nothing like following her around. In many ways, it’s more difficult.

It’s relaxing.

Itachi needs a fair amount of help before his appearance starts raising suspicion. It’s only when Kakashi scratches his temple as though he has a minor itch that Itachi starts paying him more attention. While Itachi’s initial interest is visible, he skillfully keeps the following examination from being obvious. 

He’s picking up on the signs now. A chunin vest in too good a condition, a face made distinct through careful application of foundation. A tendency to use both his hands despite the position of his equipment implying that he’s right handed. On their own, all of these things can have reasonable explanations. The chunin vest could have been a recent replacement, the foundation is so heavy because it’s meant to mask significant bags beneath his eyes, and the placement of equipment could be meant to catch opponents off guard.

The signs combined with his behavior mean that he’s an Anbu in disguise. Itachi makes an educated guess as to his identity.

Itachi uses his seal to send out a limited signal. It’s one that only captain seals will respond to.

Kakashi doesn’t react when his seal responds. Itachi doesn’t either. Instead, the Uchiha heir takes another bite of dango and only glances at him when it would be natural to do so. Kakashi waits as long as skilled chunin would before pretending to notice the attention. Then he becomes discomforted, body stiffening and hand tapping the table, before he awkwardly catches the nervous tell. 

He catches the tell with a natural looking version of Wolf’s private call sign for Weasel.

He visibly decides on a course of action. Moving his right hand away from his weapons, he puts on a polite smile and tilts his head in a sign of respect, clearly wondering what the hell he did to catch the Uchiha heir’s attention.

Him recognising Itachi by sight implies that the decision to eat within view of the Uchiha heir was deliberate. But was it deliberate because he wants to draw the Uchiha heir’s attention, or because he was trying to make a general statement to all? He looks like an unaffiliated chunin. Unaffiliated chunins can be cocky and eager to seem bigger than they are. On the other hand, he didn't react immediately. Was he distracted by something? If so, what?

Some people might assume he simply decided that it didn’t matter that the Uchiha heir was here. He wanted to enjoy a treat, nothing more.

Those people are not the ones he’s putting on an act for.

Itachi isn’t the only one who will figure out that he’s Anbu. In fact, Kakashi is fairly certain that two jounin, seated across the street, have come to the same conclusion. That’s fine. 

If you want to hide something, you need to give people something else to find. Such as giving them an Anbu who’s sending some kind of message to the Uchiha heir. And it’s true, Kakashi did send Itachi a message. Namely, he knows Itachi met up with Mariko and figured out what’s going on. He doesn’t mind that as long as Itachi keeps quiet about it.

Itachi pretends that the attention he gave him was an idle curiosity. To those who matter, this could be interpreted as him having received the message. Kakashi pretends to be relieved before acting as though he's debating whether or not he should leave.

He decides to be polite and finish his order first. Those that matter will assume he’s doing this to avoid suspicion. Which is true. It’s just not the main reason he’s doing this.

Itachi is very entertained indeed. A fact he makes clear without it being suspicious. Kakashi resists the urge to smile and enhances his hearing instead. Itachi is here for a reason after all.

He picks out the voice he wants with the ease of having kept track of it for months at a time.

“So... you like nee-chan’s stories?”

Seems he’s tuned in just in time. Also seems like they just finished up another game disguised as a brawl. Explains why Itachi needed so much help in noticing him. 

It's harder to pick up the response, the voice unfamiliar. But it stands out through the sheer suspicion it contains.

“...I do.”

“Why?

Naruto isn’t suspicious. He's confused. Doesn't understand how that bastard can like his nee-chan's stories.

“They’re really good!”

Itachi's little brother has gone on the offensive.

“They are!”

Minato’s son meets him with equal force.

“They’re funny!”

“And awesome!”

“And my brother reads them to me!”

Naruto gasps with delight, all hostility gone.

“My nee-chan does too! It’s so cool!”

“It is!”

Itachi’s little brother has lost all hostility as well. Knew this was going to provide an opening. 

“Does your brother do funny voices too?”

“He does! But they aren’t funny, they’re cool.”

“So cool! And so funny!”

Itachi’s little brother laughs. It ends abruptly when he remembers that he doesn’t like Naruto. Which reminds Naruto that oh yes, he doesn’t like Sasuke either.

The silence that follows is filled with a stubborn refusal to keep having fun together. Like they don’t enjoy their fights immensely. Well, they enjoy most of them. 

They enjoyed the one they just had. Possibly there will be another one before lunch ends.

But first they need to recover from having held an actual conversation instead of merely arguing. 

“Bastard.”

“Idiot.”

Kakashi keeps pretending that he’s trying to get out of here as fast as he can without it being impolite. Itachi keeps pretending that he’s here for a treat and public image purposes.

Today is a good day. 

It’s a shame it won’t last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present, Itachi fluff to make up for the Itachi angst in the previous chapter x3


	13. The Beginning - Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the AMAZING [Wolf fanart](https://loekas.tumblr.com/post/620385472956481536/loekas-a-wolf-art-by-sarcasticbirb-using/) I had commissioned! It's so pretty and perfect!!!

The sixth night is filled with memories and screams.

He wakes up with blood on his hands.

Wolf drinks as much as their need for hydration requires. Kakashi, with the false tranquility that comes from having a dissociative episode, enters the bathroom and draws a bath with bloody hands. It’s a comfortable temperature.

He could put his hands in the water. Could make it boil and melt off the skin. Wouldn’t see the blood of others then. Wouldn’t feel it.

Not only is it unprofessional to treat valuable tools in that manner, if he displays mental instability to that degree, their time out is at risk of extension.

Wolf summons their hounds. Their hounds go on alert. Pakkun takes charge. 

“Right, let's get to it.”

Their hounds take off their vests and headbands. Uhei comes closer so they can take off his bandages. Wolf takes off the bandages. 

Kakashi focuses on the feeling. The bandages and the fur beneath are soft and dry. They aren’t covered in blood. 

His bloody hands leave no stains. That’s wrong. There should be stains.

They’re experiencing a psychotic break. The blood isn’t real.

It feels real.

Pakkun grabs his favorite shampoo and adds it to the bath. The strong floral scent joins the blood coating his tongue. 

Guruko and Urushi are the first in the bath. Wolf takes up position and starts cleaning Guruko by hand. Wolf takes care to make the experience as pleasurable as possible.

Kakashi focuses on the sensation. The fur, wet in a different manner than when clitted together by blood. The water, thinner and warmer than blood. The foam that smells nothing like blood.

He keeps wondering why his hands don’t leave stains. 

The blood isn't real.

Bull covers his back, a warm and unbloodied weight. Uhei, Akino and Shiba cover his sides. Bisuke jumps onto Bull and rests his head on Kakashi’s own. Pakkun jumps onto his shoulder. 

Urushi bites at the water flowing from the faucet. Guruko enjoys the care being given. The wagging of his tail makes the water splash in a different manner than blood.

Their hounds are worried.

“Why can’t I ever go first?” Uhei asks with false annoyance. The false annoyance isn’t beneficial but it isn’t disadvantageous either.

“Cause you’re slow as hell,” Urushi says with a grin more forced than genuine. Forced humor is an unwanted stimuli. Wolf halts his work on Guruko and cleans Urushi's neck to make him respond with real pleasure. 

“I am not _slow as hell_.”

Uhei’s offense is genuine.

“My bad,” Urushi says, humor no longer forced. His tail is wagging. “You’re a prissy diva. Better?”

“No.”

“I’m with Urushi on this one,” Bisuke says. His vocal cords vibrate against their head. It tickles. “You’re a diva. Don’t worry, Bull and Shiba are as well.”

Bull changes position so his signing will be visible. 

_Beauty should be flaunted._

“Beauty takes time,” Shiba says before passing on the dialogue to Uhei. As always, their hounds display exemplary teamwork. “Right, Uhei?”

Uhei responds with a display of annoyance more genuine than deliberate.

They're real. They're real and they're alive.

The blood on his hands remains.

“Hey, boss, boss!”

Kakashi doesn’t respond to Guruko’s calling. Wolf tilts their head to show they’re paying him attention. The others wait to see what opportunities this interaction will provide.

“What do you call sleeping puppies?”

Wolf waits a moment to see if Kakashi will consider the question. Wolf expects no consideration but Wolf must make certain.

After becoming certain, Wolf acts in a manner crafted to get Kakashi back in working order.

“I don’t know.”

“Hush puppies!”

Guruko burst out laughing at his own joke. The barking is nothing like the cries of those dying. Neither are the sounds let out by the others. 

Guruko’s movements cause water to splash onto them. The water is foamy and floral scented. It doesn’t remind him of blood. Wolf gives Guruko a firm backstroke. Praising him for providing the correct kind of stimuli. Sensory input that contradicts their hallucinations is the most efficient way to get rid of them.

“That’s awful."

“That’s hilarious."

“Boss, what’s the coolest dog?”

Wolf waits a moment to see if Kakashi will consider the question. He doesn’t. Wolf estimates that, with the aid of their hounds, it will require another twenty minutes before he starts becoming responsive. It will require another hour before he regains basic functionality.

“I don’t know.”

“A pup-sicle!”

Guruko barks with laughter again. The others respond as well.

All of them are alive. 

Eventually, the blood on their hands starts fading. Eventually, Kakashi starts responding. When he acknowledges a question with a hum, his summons are relieved. They continue conversing in a less deliberate manner.

Wolf becomes capable of heating the cooled water back to a comfortable temperature. Wolf continues to provide the correct kind of stimuli. Kakashi slowly pulls himself together. 

He's the one who washes the final two. The part of him that is Wolf fades to the background. Still guiding his actions but no more than usual when off duty.

It’s that part of him which, after he finishes bathing his summons, makes him go get something to eat.

Pakkun leaves the bathroom first. Kakashi understands why when he follows.

The picture of his team has been placed down. Kakashi is grateful. Seeing them would ruin most of the progress he’s made.

He eats. And remembers that he’s supposed to treat his summons when they give him puppy looks. He shares the rations, feeling drained. Feeling hollow and so heavy.

When the part of him that is Wolf notes that their reserves are getting too low, Kakashi prepares to dispel his summons. 

“Call us again before midnight, boss,” Pakkun says. Kakashi gathers the energy needed to let out a sound of confirmation. His summons are pleased.

His summons are worried. They shouldn’t be. 

They should leave him. It’s dangerous for them to stay. Dangerous for them to care.

If he had the energy for it, he would be considering how to break their contract. As it is, he can barely remember how he’s supposed to dispel them.

Funny how he has no trouble remembering what Rin looked like. What Obito looked like. What Father...

There was so much blood.

Kakashi realises that his summons have been dispelled. He crawls into bed and closes his eye. He’s tired.

He’s alone.

He always will be.

* * *

If it were up to him, he wouldn’t move at all.

The part of him that is Wolf keeps him mission ready. Kakashi lets that part of him move him around, uncaring of where it takes him.

It takes him to the Memorial Stone. Kakashi’s eye traces the spots that once held the names of his teammates. They’re no longer there, the slates holding their names have long since been added to the complex in the Hokage Mountain. 

Kakashi doesn’t need the original slates to see their names. Obito, Rin, Sensei. They’re gone. They’re dead.

They’re dead because of him.

Kakashi should be telling them about what happened since the last time he spoke to them. Should continue telling Sensei about his son, should tell Obito that Naruto and Itachi’s little brother held an actual conversation. Should share Guruko’s awful jokes with Rin.

There’s no point to telling them. They’re dead.

He’s alone.

* * *

The part of him that is Wolf takes him away from the Memorial Stone. That part of him is aware of his surroundings. It makes him act on that information. 

Kakashi is barely aware of what his body is doing.

_Promise you’ll protect Rin._

_Kakashi, kill me._

_Don’t worry, Kakashi. I won’t leave you._

He becomes aware that his hand is doing something significant.

_On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate his intelligence?_

Why is he writing to her?

Because the Third ordered him to keep her from losing faith in the village. Kakashi is acting on instinct. Instinct makes him obey.

He places the note on the bookcase. Now, he should go outside until she responds.

He sits down out of sight of the window instead. Part of him knows that’s wrong but he just doesn’t have the strength to move. Not without Wolf making him. And for some reason, that part of him isn’t taking him outside. Something to worry over later.

Kakashi absently watches as she helps Minato’s son with his homework. 

“What do we do when meeting someone for the first time?”

“The enlish check!”

“And what does enlish stand for?”

Minato’s son touches his own face as he goes over the mnemonic.

“Eyes, nose, lips and...”

She kisses Minato’s son's jaw and hair. Minato’s son laughs.

“Shape and hair!”

Obito’s hair was soaked in blood. Rin’s mouth was overflowing with it. 

Father was lying in it.

Kakashi becomes aware that he’s writing again.

_I’m sensing some bias here._

He wrote this in response to...

**_Eleven, and you better watch what you say next._ **

It’s a good thing that conversing with her has become a habit. Keeps her from noticing something is wrong with him.

There's always something wrong with him.

He returns to his seat, vaguely wondering how much time has passed since he first wrote. Minato’s son has finished his homework. That means a fair amount of time has passed. It's afternoon and the exact hour is at the back of his mind.

What does it matter how much time has passed? It’s all the same in the end.

He’s alone. He’s a failure.

_My little ninja pup. You’re so strong._

He’s never strong enough.

He keeps acting on instinct. Only when she extends an invitation does he take true notice.

**_Not exactly what I had in mind._ **

This... is difficult.

With an effort made possible only because of the orders he’s under, Kakashi considers. Does he accept or refuse?

Refusal would lead to suspicion.

Acceptance would lead to the same. He isn’t in a functional state of mind and it would require more effort than he can muster to hide that from her.

Energy spent, Kakashi lets his hand move as it pleases. Acceptance or rejection, it’s all the same.

He wonders what he ate. Must have eaten something, he isn't hungry. Isn't thirsty either.

He'd been so thirsty after Obito...

_Care to share?_

It’s only when she reads the response that he feels a spark of true worry. There is, in fact, a big difference between acceptance and rejection. Namely, one requires direct contact and the other does not.

He made a mistake. The problem, she’s already read the note. And is responding to it.

**_I might._ **

This is bad.

Because he’s in no condition to make rational decisions, Kakashi unseals Wolf’s mask and puts it on.

Wolf considers. A blunt rejection will be accepted but will arouse worry. A carefully worded rejection will be accepted without worry. 

Rejection won’t improve his state of mind. Acceptance would lead to the kind of sensory input that is most effective in making him regain functionality.

Kakashi is almost surprised. This is not a reasoning he saw coming.

Wolf is not surprised by his lack of insight. He’s performing at abysmal standards. Irrelevant when it affects only him, but Wolf's competence is significantly diminished as well. Wolf is not pleased.

Wolf considers the risks. There’s no risk of discovery from her, but acceptance could lead to a sensory overload. This would diminish their competence even further. Wolf will need to take care not to allow the stimulus to become too great. Odds of failure, approximately fifteen percent.

Wolf leaves her residence and thoroughly checks for patrols and observers. Concludes the area to be free of interference. 

Odds of their conclusion being wrong, approximately forty percent. Wolf is not pleased.

Wolf goes inside, takes up position in one of her blindspots, drops out of stealth, casts a henge on his hair and puts on the body language she’s used to. Wolf speaks with the voice she knows.

“Tell me more.”

She turns around with a yell. Wolf estimates it will take another three appearances before her response will fall within acceptable volumes.

Wolf is on the lookout for signs of her realising their behavior is out of the ordinary.

“Just for that, I should make you suffer.”

Initial response implies she considers their behavior to be normal. Wolf remains on the lookout for signs of the contrary.

“Is that an offer?”

She grins and takes on a deliberately inviting stance.

“It might be.”

“I might be willing to comply.”

“Now it’s definitely an offer. Not for tonight, though. Tonight, I was thinking doggy style.”

The position is new and will limit her view of them, greatly lessening the odds of her noticing any discrepancy in behavior. Wolf moves in the manner she expects. She responds as intended. 

“I like the way you think.”

Wolf continues to avoid suspicion. Wolf touches her as she is used to. Makes the sensation pleasurable to them both.

Kakashi focuses on her touch, her warmth, her scent. Focuses on the sounds that are nothing like those that haunt him. 

Wolf is careful to avoid a sensory overload. Wolf succeeds.

After the physical release, Wolf checks for and erases all incriminating traces left on her with a touch she won't find suspicious. Wolf leaves the room and goes to the meal prepared for them. She expects it to be eaten and it provides adequate nutrition. 

As their physical response steadies, Wolf examines him. The sensory input combined with the hormonal effects of a release should have improved his mental state.

Kakashi is kind of worried. This... was dangerous behavior. He crossed an important line in doing this. 

The improvement is significant. With continued care, they’ll return to peak efficiency sooner than anticipated. Wolf finishes the meal, cleans the utensils, erases all incriminating traces left on their body, before entering stealth, leaving her residence and flickering away. Leaving immediately instead of performing another scan first is the wisest course of action. In their current state, they risk discovery more than they risk missing something of notice.

Wolf arrives at the residence. Wolf summons Akino and Shiba to check for signs of tampering. Akino and Shiba conclude the area to be safe. Wolf enters the residence. Their hounds perform another check. Their conclusion remains the same. Wolf takes off his mask.

The gravity of what he just did hits Kakashi full on. It’s one thing to sleep with her out of want and spite, something else entirely to use it as a professional means to an end. That is a dangerous slip in morals. Konoha was founded by clans used to bloodline theft. One of the main reasons they agreed to work together is because it was promised this wouldn’t happen among those that joined. Seducing outsiders with ulterior motives, yes. Seducing their own, no. It's one of their most sacred laws, one that’s always enforced when uncovered.

Part of him wants to defend his actions. He didn’t sleep with her for her genes, didn’t even sleep with her to strengthen her loyalty to the village. He only approached her as a target because of the unstable state of mind he’s in, and even then he kept things personal. So is this really so bad?

Yes it is. Ninja are taught to spy, steal and kill. They need clear boundaries to counterbalance that. Stealing on orders, yes, stealing for personal gain, no. Infiltrating a home in the name of duty, yes, infiltrating one out of curiosity, no. 

Kill to complete the mission, yes. Kill because of feelings, no.

Without lines like this, Hidden Villages fall into chaos. Mist is the bloodiest example of that.

Justifying slips like this is what leads to people becoming traitors.

The mere idea of becoming a traitor makes every part of him rebel. If he still had his mask on, it would be even worse.

Kakashi resolves to avoid her until he’s gotten through the worst of his mental crash.

He realises just how difficult that’s going to be the next day.

* * *

_The stew was a bit flat. You should use more spices next time._

Kakashi looks over the words he just wrote before he looks at his surroundings.

He’s back in her home. Great.

She’s writing. She hasn’t noticed him. Because he’s hiding from her senses. And has cast an illusion? 

He realises he’s folded the note and is placing it on the bookcase. Not good. He needs to destroy this without arousing suspicion.

Seeing as that cost more thought than he can currently spare, Kakashi puts on Wolf’s mask.

Wolf places the note on the bookcase. Continued interaction fulfills their orders and aids his recovery - Kakashi takes off the mask, vaguely exasperated. This is not helping.

He closes his eye and forces himself to think. He needs to destroy this note. This note contains the exchange from yesterday. He needs to copy it and leave out the last thing he wrote.

With great effort, Kakashi grabs a notebook, silently tears out a page, copies the original note, places the copy on the bookcase and destroys the original with chakra. 

He’s exhausted. But he isn’t finished yet. If he checks out now, he’ll just write to her again.

Kakashi examines how his stealth is holding. Not well. If she wasn’t a civilian, she would have noticed him. 

He tightens it as best he can, before he leaves her home and flickers away. 

He misses his destination. By how much is at the back of his mind but he's preoccupied with figuring out how to get to his place from here. It involves roof hopping. 

He reaches his place, slips inside and drops out of stealth. With the last of his strengths, he summons.

Bisuke and Shiba answer his call. Their noses twitch and Bisuke tilts his head.

“Didn’t you say you were going to avoid the lady?”

He forgot to get rid of the scent of her home. Not good. But, it shouldn't have spread. He was in stealth.

Kakashi lets out a sound of confirmation. Bisuke and Shiba exchange a worried look. They herd him to the bed. Kakashi lies down. When he feels Shiba next to him, he curls around him, focusing on the warm and unbloodied fur. On the strong and healthy heartbeat.

“Bisuke went to get the pup.”

So that’s why there’s only one heartbeat.

“Don’t let me go to her,” Kakashi manages to mumble before checking out. Fleeting awareness rises when Bisuke joins him. Seems Tenzo is away on a mission. That’s... significant. Another thing to consider after he’s gotten through the worst.

Another moment of awareness rises when he starts moving to dispel Bisuke and Shiba. Kakashi halts his movements. He needs them to stay. Can’t remember what for exactly, but he knows he needs his summons with him.

“Boss?”

Kakashi acknowledges the question with a hum, more focused on figuring out what to do. His reserves are low. He needs to dispel the two if he wants to summon anyone tomorrow.

Bisuke sighs.

“We could really use the pup.”

“Gai?”

“No, too much.”

“Okay, but he needs someone."

“No.”

Kakashi realises he said that no. And he said that because he doesn’t want anyone. He can’t want anyone. 

Bisuke groans.

“You aren’t making this easy, boss.”

Being Wolf is easy.

Kakashi puts on Wolf’s mask.

After confirming that they’ll summon them again after waking, Wolf dispels their hounds. Wolf considers. Kakashi wishes to avoid further interaction. Given his current state of mind, the desire is a significant one. Wolf's initial conclusion is strengthened. Continued interaction could make him recover faster than normal.

Continued interaction could have a negative impact instead. Wolf concludes this to be an acceptable risk. Strategy can be adjusted should his mental state deteriorate further.

Wolf checks the security and arms it before going to her residence. Wolf performs a thorough check. Concludes the area to be free of observers. Odds of their conclusion being wrong, forty percent. 

Wolf slips inside.

_The stew was a bit flat. You should use more spices next time._

Wolf remains in her residence. In his current state, they cannot ensure they will remain undetected should they pass through the wards as frequently as usual.

Wolf observes. Wolf is on the lookout for signs of her being aware of his compromised state.

**_Be sure to keep that in mind when you make it yourself._ **

_So defensive. I’m just offering some friendly advice._

**_See, when I’m the one who feeds you free of charge, it sounds less like advice and a lot more like criticism._ **

_Not my fault you’re so touchy about offers of well intended aid._

**_You do realise that I can cut you off whenever I feel it, right?_ **

_Well, we can’t have that. Might there be alternative payment I can offer?_

Wait. This is wrong. This is why he needs his summons. To keep this from happening again.

Wolf waits to see if he will take over. He doesn’t. Wolf places down the note.

**_Now that you mention it, I do have a few ideas in mind._ **

“I’m all ears.”

Wolf continues to avoid suspicion. Provides the correct stimuli. Returns to the residence. Checks for tampering. Concludes the area to be safe. Wolf takes off his mask.

Kakashi is worried. This shouldn’t have happened. Wolf should not have acted like this.

He doesn’t have the energy to figure out what caused this. But he needs to keep it from happening again.

With great effort, Kakashi comes up with a plan. He writes down that plan, sets his alarm and goes to sleep.

The next morning, after remembering why he set the alarm and going over the plan he wrote down, Kakashi summons Pakkun and Bull. They accompany him to her home. Kakashi writes a note, enters her bedroom and places it on top of her alarm. She remains asleep.

_I’ll be gone for awhile. Don’t write or leave dinner until I’m back._

Kakashi slips outside and orders Pakkun to notify him when she reads it. Returning to his place with Bull, he orders Bull to keep him from destroying the note. Then he checks out.

He becomes aware when Pakkun arrives and informs him that she read the note. Kakashi is relieved. This should stop Wolf from contacting her. Doing so after saying he’d be gone for a while would be suspicious. 

Now he can check out completely.

He has no idea how much time passess. There are moments of awareness but they never last long. 

During those moments, a thought rises more and more.

He hates feeling like this.

After waking up from a nightmare free sleep, Kakashi realises his frustration has grown to be stronger than his fatigue. 

He realises this because he remains aware of his surroundings. Oh, he still zones out, but he does so for minutes instead of hours. The fact that he can keep track of time is another sign of the worst having passed.

He still feels awful. Still feels like a failure. But now he can do things by choice again instead of needing instinct to guide him.

He can consider information again.

The first thing he does is go to headquarters. He needs to look up how his team was deployed during his absence. Tenzo is back on a mission already, and that’s faster than should have happened after the training session they had. Either Cat isn’t taking proper care of his body, or someone took advantage of Kakashi’s absence to overwork his team. 

Most of his team are registered a usual amount but for the past two months Cat has been deployed more. Most likely someone took advantage of Tenzo’s state of mind. 

Kakashi fills in a form that designates Tenzo as a preferred teammate on missions. With any luck, that will be enough for people to back off. If not, he’ll have to take more direct action. Either way, he’s investigating this more deeply after he’s gotten himself back in order.

He takes a rest after, vaguely aware of what he’s doing. Eating, training, and then taking a nap.

After the nap, he feels clear headed enough to consider the line he crossed with Mariko. Why did he do that? He’s never slept with someone when crashing like this before.

He’s never before had a lover that every port of him trusts to have no ulterior motives. 

The explanation doesn’t excuse his actions. No matter the reason, this was wrong. 

He should break things off with her. Should have never started this actually, but that’s something he can no longer change.

...Except his relationship with her is helping him recover a _lot_ sooner than usual. Normally when he crashes like this, he can hide it enough until he gets another mission. By the end of it, Kakashi has usually recovered in full.

During it, Wolf isn’t at his best. Wolf misses things he would otherwise spot.

Wolf can’t protect his teammates as well as he should. 

Kakashi is torn. On one hand, this is an enormous red flag. This is something he can’t allow to continue.

He can’t put his teammates at risk. Not when he has the power to prevent it. 

Kakashi comes to a decision. He’ll do as originally planned and keep sleeping with her until his time out is over. After that, he’ll break things off. Part of him is incredibly uncomfortable with this decision, but it would be even worse if he decided to end things right now. 

He will _not_ keep sleeping with her as Wolf, though. That is a boundary he can’t afford to cross again.

Decision made, Kakashi summons Guruko and lets his enthusiastic chattering soothe him. 

It’s afternoon when Kakashi realises that his decision requires reconnaissance. He hasn’t seen her in days. Maybe something has happened.

Mentally preparing himself, Kakashi puts on a disguise and passes by the Dancing Dragon. He isn’t planning to enter, just check up on her. Determine her state of mind, see if she’s still willing to continue. Things like that.

He hears Naruto before he sees her.

“No it’s not!”

Minato’s son is indignant and defensive. A flicker of curiosity rises. What’s making him act like this? Kakashi enhances his hearing a little to find out.

“I don’t know, if you tilt your head just so...”

Kakashi can’t stop his surprise from showing, so he turns his head to the side and pretends the reaction was caused by something he saw in the nearby thrift store. Walking towards it, he settles on a display of funny cutlery as a suitable source of interest.

All his attention is on the conversation happening between Naruto and Renji.

“It’s _not_ , dattebayo! It’s a frog! It’s not a bunny!”

“But-”

“It’s. A. Frog!”

“Are you sure? Because-”

“A! Frog!”

Renji’s voice is filled with genuine teasing, no trace of resentment to be found. This is new indeed. Did he and Tori get together already? Would explain the uncharacteristic behavior.

Kakashi examines the cutlery a moment longer, before continuing on his way. He passes the Dancing Dragon.

She’s leaning on the counter with the smile only Naruto can inspire, and that smile is bigger than it’s ever been. Three more steps and the show she’s enjoying comes into view.

Naruto has made a drawing with crayons, and he’s clutching the paper close while glaring up at Renji.

Renji, genuinely amused and with not a single sign of the hatred Naruto normally inspires, has lifted his hands with surrender. He’s looking at Naruto with a grin.

“Okay, a frog it is.”

“Damn straight, dattebayo!”

Kakashi almost doesn’t catch a chuckle from escaping. Mariko has no such qualms, bright laughter erupting at Naruto mimicking her speech like this. It reminds Naruto that he has an ally, and he runs over and thrusts his drawing out to her. 

Renji and Tori are laughing as well. The look they share reveals that, yes, something happened between them. Kakashi has four steps left to discover what.

As Naruto demands that she confirm his drawing looks like a frog, Renji walks towards one of the customers that are rather annoyed by Naruto’s volume. 

The walk reveals everything Kakashi needs to know. Renji and Tori slept together. And judging from the look they shared, they both plan on turning this into a full blown relationship.

Kakashi passes by the Dancing Dragon. He also realises that this won’t be enough reconnaissance by far, and he curses his mental state for making him miss obvious things like this. Still, if he’d been clear headed, he wouldn’t have seen this. And this was nice.

The fact that he can find something even a little nice, is a sign of how rapidly he’s recovering.

He’s nowhere near recovered yet. A fact driven home by how exhausted he is after getting out of range of the Dancing Dragon. Kakashi goes back to his place, takes a nap, and does some light training after waking up. Then he goes to her place. Hidden from everyone’s senses, he watches as she and Naruto go about their usual routine. 

She shows no signs of missing him. Kakashi is deeply relieved. Oh, he has no doubt that she misses him, but it isn’t strong enough to have a significant impact. This is further confirmed after Naruto has been put to bed. She settles down to read because she wants to, not because she’s trying to distract herself. 

Despite being certain that her view on him hasn’t changed, he still waits until she starts preparing for bed to make a move. Normally the waiting would annoy him, but right now it helps to have so little to focus on.

When she goes into the bathroom, he slips inside and write a note. Then he hesitates. He should go outside, but the risk...

No. He’s crossed enough lines already. He doesn’t need to add any more.

Kakashi slips outside and tries to ignore the part of him worried over being spotted.

When she walks out the bathroom, she doesn’t look at the bookcase. Her discrete nature working against her. How ironic.

Kakashi slips inside, grabs the note and places it down the cabinet she’s going to pass on her way to her bedroom. This time he does settle down to wait out of sight of the window. Remaining in a room when she isn’t present, no. Remaining in the same room while chatting, yes.

Before passing by the note, she gives the drawing that Naruto made a long look, smiling all the while. Normally she hangs his drawings on the fridge, but this one has gotten a place of honor on the front door. 

When she finally does notice the note, she halts with surprise. She hadn’t expected him to be back already. And now she’s wondering whether it’s him or another Anbu.

_He’s right, it looks like a bunny. Or its mutilated remains anyway. Why hang it up there of all places?_

She grins, ever so happy to have him back. It’s a little uncomfortable to witness, but honestly, he would have been suspicious if she’d acted otherwise. He’s the best lover she’s ever had after all.

She walks towards the coffee table and grabs a pen, the sway of her hips letting him know she’s already looking forward to where this will lead to.

**_I am never taking this down._ **

No she won’t. The sentimental value of this drawing is priceless. It’s a physical representation of the first time her beloved friend talked to Naruto without being reminded of what he lost.

The drawing is awful. Kakashi genuinely can’t find a frog in that mess. Eyes, yes, a very long tongue, also yes. A frog shape, not so much. 

_That’s really what you want to see every time you walk out the door?_

**_It really is._ **

_And you call me insane._

Rightly so. Sane people do not dissociate like he does.

**_You are. Completely._ **

Kakashi realises there’s a smile tugging at his lips. For a moment he almost panics but then he realises just why he’s feeling like this. 

She doesn’t know him. She has no idea of just how broken he is. She’d never call him insane if she did.

He can banter with her without worrying over what he might reveal. Kakashi does just that.

_I’m hurt._

Her smile is amused, but the way she shifts her balance tells him she’s ready to get things started. Kakashi is glad. Banter is fun but not something he can keep up for long in his current state.

Kakashi puts on his mask while she writes. 

Wolf approves of his actions. Kakashi wishes he didn’t. But for now, he needs to focus on remaining in control while wearing Wolf’s mask.

Wolf will not allow him to arouse suspicion. They are under orders to keep her from losing faith in the village. 

In other words, Wolf will only interfere if necessary. Best he can hope for, and good enough to continue.

Kakashi reads her reply.

**_So sensitive._ **

Wolf is watchful, but Kakashi is the one who writes.

_I don’t know how I’ll ever get over this._

**_My deepest apologies. Whatever can I do to make up for this grievous injury?_ **

Kakashi drops out of stealth, casts a henge on his hair and reminds himself to keep his voice animated.

“I might have a suggestion or two.”

Despite expecting him to show up behind her, she still spins around with a startled yelp. It’s no longer the yell it was before, though. Wolf approves. Kakashi does his best to ignore that.

She helps him keep things personal by admiring his form with unusual strength. It’s only been four nights, yet she’s already responding like this. Kakashi won’t lie, it’s flattering. And a little worrying but he can push that aside thanks to his mind being wrung out. He can only focus on a few things at a time, and right now he’s focusing on keeping Wolf at bay. 

“Are you ever going to stop doing that?” she asks like she isn’t undressing him with her eyes. The way her gaze lingers on his ANBU seal tells him she wants to lick it. 

“Never,” he says, making sure his voice sounds like she expects it to. Without conscious effort, it would sound too flat.

She grins, for once not annoyed by him deliberately startling her. The way her hands toy with her clothes tells him why. 

“So, about those suggestions...”

She has her own suggestions to add. Kakashi is not opposed. Following her lead is a lot easier than keeping track of everything himself. But bluntly stating that would arouse suspicion.

He straightens up. She responds as expected. 

“Allow me to show you.”

He knows this is wrong. Knows he’s taking advantage of her, knows he’s failing the village. Knows he’s slipped significantly on the narrow path he always walks.

He knows Minato-sensei would be disappointed in him.

He has a lot of work to do after this passes. But that’s fine. The worst is over, and the rest isn’t far behind.

Two more nights and his time out is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to finish this chapter! And now I'm going to take a break. Been writing Kakashi for over two months now, and my creative juices need trecharging. I'm not abandoning this story, but it'll probably take a couple of months before my muse comes back. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read and loved this. Thanks most of all to everyone who commented. I wish all of you safety and happiness ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> The [Wolf fanart](https://loekas.tumblr.com/post/620385472956481536/loekas-a-wolf-art-by-sarcasticbirb-using/) I commissioned.
> 
> My [main tumblr](https://loekas.tumblr.com/)
> 
> My [naruto sideblog](https://anothernarutoblog.tumblr.com/)


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